Photo compliments: ideas.ted.com The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) though Ireland’s development cooperation programme, Irish Aid, and the Marine Institute (MI) have established a new programme called ‘Our Shared Ocean’ to support research, knowledge exchange and capacity building in partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The programme will run from January 2022 to December 2026 with a total investment of €3.8 million funded by the DFA, and administered by the MI. The Mobility and Travel Grants 2022 is the first of a suite of competitive calls under the Our Shared Ocean Programme that will address specific ocean, climate and sustainable blue economy related challenges faced by SIDS; support the building of scientific and technical capacity to address such challenges; and promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise between Irish institutions and their counterparts in SIDS to underpin longer-term cooperation. Award Categories: Grant support is provided in the following categories: 1. Research Visitis - Maximum grant-aid available €6,000. 2. Research Conferences and Workshops - Minimum grant-aid €500 and maximum grant-aid €2,000. 3. Training Courses - Minimum grant-aid €500 and maximum grant-aid €2,000. Submission Deadlines: • Monday, 15th August 2022 • Monday, 3rd October 2022 • Monday, 5th December 2022 (for events up to 31st March 2023) Application Process: Applications must be submitted via the Marine Institute's online Application System Research Information Management System (RIMS). Application Forms are available to download from RIMS. Please refer to the Applicant Guidelines for information on the types of initiatives supported, how to register for access to RIMS, and the application procedure. Please see the FAQ document for general questions and queries in relation to the application, award and payment process. Applications submitted on the incorrect form or incomplete applications will be ineligible and will not go forward to the evaluation process. This initiative is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs though Ireland’s development cooperation programme, Irish Aid, administered and managed by the Marine Institute on behalf of Irish Aid/DFA. Notes: Applicants cannot receive more than two awards in any calendar year. Awards are payable to organisations only. Applications are capped at max three applications per Organisation per event. Applications must be submitted one month in advance of the event. Applications may be submitted for events taking place up to 31st March 2023.

The meeting was the first time the international community has gathered since COP26 in Glasgow, where Parties committed to develop a work programme to speed up cuts in their emissions in this critical decade before 2030, with the aim of keeping global average temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. In Bonn, Parties also launched work on finding new ways to finance vulnerable countries and communities around the world that are struggling to “avert, minimize and address loss and damage” associated with the impacts of climate change. Work continued on defining a “new collective quantified goal” for climate finance, which will replace the current finance goal of USD 100 billion annually from 2020-2025. Parties and representatives of civil society also used the meeting in Bonn to focus on the challenge of post-2030 ambition, by starting preparations for the Global Stocktake (GST) that will take place at COP28 in 2023 in the United Arab Emirates. The GST is designed to drive the Paris Agreement’s ambition cycle and will provide the basis for the next round of Parties’ emissions reduction targets for 2035 and 2040, as well as new efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to raise financial and technical resources to support developing countries. The Bonn session closed with the Parties agreeing to send forward a series of “informal notes” that will provide the basis for continued work between now and Sharm el-Sheikh. The most recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were at the centre of Bonn negotiations, delivering the best available scientific understanding of the urgent need and opportunities for action. The EU worked closely with vulnerable developing countries and its G7 partners to encourage major emitters to raise their pre-2030 ambition through a new Mitigation Work Programme that should be launched in Sharm El-Sheikh. On the issue of adaptation and on loss and damage, the EU and other developed countries recognise the urgency of the issue, and have committed to scale up support by strengthening existing arrangements and institutions that have demonstrated experience and expertise in supporting communities in need. In terms of climate finance, developed countries must deliver on the commitments they have made. It is also essential to align global financial flows with the Paris goals to ensure that the scale of financial support matches what is required to help solve the existential challenges created by the climate crisis. Many other countries share this position, and the EU reaffirms that this must be addressed at COP 27. In its closing statement, the EU welcomed the progress made over the ten days, and called on Parties to continue to build convergence on the various issues before meeting again in person in Sharm el-Sheikh for the UN Climate Conference (COP27) in November. The incoming Egyptian Presidency has the EU’s full support and we look forward to continued good cooperation. This year’s conference was the first to take place in Bonn since the coronavirus outbreak. It also marked the last formal negotiating session under the leadership of Patricia Espinosa, who has served as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat since 2016. Article originally posted by the European Commission - https://ec.europa.eu/clima/news-your-voice/news/paving-way-cop-27-bonn-climate-change-conference-2022-06-17_en

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Tuesday, April 5, 2022. — The University of the West Indies (The UWI) and UNDP have been ‘walking the talk’ on several blue economy-related initiatives since the two entities joined forces in 2019 to drive climate change solutions for the Caribbean. Among the tangible collaboration initiatives is a joint think-tank on public policy for the Blue Economy developed by The UWI and UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to tackle development issues and strengthen development effectiveness. On Monday, April 4 the think-tank also commonly referred to as Blue Economists for the Caribbean hosted a high-level forum themed, Strengthening Research-Policy Linkages for a Thriving Blue Economy in the Caribbean to showcase some of the work advanced to date. The Honourable Dean Jonas, Minister of Social Transformation, Human Resource Development and the Blue Economy for Antigua and Barbuda delivered opening remarks. He applauded The UWI and UNDP and expressed the Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s enthusiasm for the establishment of The UWI’s Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy at the Five Islands Campus, one of the initiatives realised following the collaboration. The Centre, he said, “illustrates the range of potential areas for partnership.” He added, “Forming strategic partnerships with stakeholders such as The UWI complements regional efforts executed with, and by other international development agencies, donors, civil society, national government and local stakeholders.” Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, The UWI and Luis Felipe López-Calva, UN Assistant General Secretary, and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean also delivered remarks at the forum which was chaired by Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, whose office spearheaded the partnership between The UWI and UNDP. Vice-Chancellor Beckles expressed pride at the progress from the partnership. “I'm happy to report that after three years, what I have seen is the development of a best practice in terms of partnerships, activism, and establishing a track record for getting things done. We know that MOUs are not always ‘MO-DOs’ by tradition. But this is an instance in which The UWI and UNDP have been establishing a legacy of action.” He declared, “We are going to be able to demonstrate at the highest possible level that UWI will be a best-case scenario in the implementation of agreed positions and policies.” Following the opening remarks were reports on the key areas of research-policy work undertaken since the signing of the partnership agreement in 2019. This segment featured presentations from Dr. Julian Roberts, Managing Director, Blue Resources Ltd on Challenges and Opportunities for the Blue Economy in the Caribbean ; Dr. Akshai Mansingh, Dean, Faculty of Sport, The UWI; Mr. Matthew Goldie-Scot, Managing Director, Thuso Group on Climate Change and Sport and Dr. Emily Dick-Forde, Management Committee Member at The UWI Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development on the UWI Flagship Initiative: Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development (GISCRD) . View the event here