Unregulated tourism risks disrupting Timor-Leste's whale migration
| | DILI, Timor-Leste, 11 December 2025 (Mongabay) - Whale tourism in Timor-Leste is booming. Tour operators report a healthy number of sightings and full bookings in the peak season of September to December, when hundreds of pygmy blue whales make the journey through the Ombai-Wetar Strait on their way south to western Australia. But increasingly aggressive practices fueled by competition between tour operators could mean “another Sri Lanka,” where whales already stressed by climate-induced food scarcity are disappearing from the area. |
The Philippines tests 'transition credits' to cut coal use
| | CALACA, Philippines, 11 December 2025 (AP) - The Philippines is testing a new type of carbon credit aimed at encouraging companies to cut their climate warming emissions by creating funds that can be used to turn coal-fired power plants into renewable energy facilities. Called transition credits, they are meant to help pay for phasing out coal use by creating value out of the emissions that would prevent. The funds would then pay to replace fossil fuel equipment with clean energy gear. |
Tiwi Islands become 700,000-hectare Indigenous Protected Area
| | SALE, Australia, 11 December 2025 (ABC) - The Tiwi Islands have been named the newest Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). The IPA agreement adds more than 700,000 hectares of land to Australia's national parks and reserves system. It will see traditional owners manage land to help Australia meet biodiversity commitments. |
Bold tourism strategy of Taiwan
| | NEW YORK, US, 11 December 2025 (TTW) - Taiwan has recently embarked on a transformational journey to reshape its tourism industry. At the heart of this transformation is a strong and sustainable framework that prioritises eco-friendly travel, cultural immersion, and digital innovation. |
Shell facing first UK legal claim over climate impacts of fossil fuels
| | LONDON, UK, 11 December 2025 (BBC) - Victims of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines have filed a legal claim against oil and gas company Shell in the UK courts, seeking compensation for what they say is the company's role in making the storm more severe. Around 400 people were killed and millions of homes hit when Typhoon Rai slammed into parts of the Philippines just before Christmas in 2021. Now a group of survivors are for the first time taking legal action against the UK's largest oil company, arguing that it had a role in making the typhoon more likely and more damaging. |
Sea Lion oil project in Falkland Islands gets green light
| | EASTON, US, 10 December 2025 (OE) - Rockhopper Exploration has taken a final investment decision on Phase 1 of the Sea Lion oil development north of the Falkland Islands, allowing the long-delayed project to proceed after securing financing commitments and regulatory approvals. |
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SIDS |
 | | 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States 27-30 May 2024, Antigua and Barbuda |
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NAF |
| | North Atlantic Forum bi-annual international conference 17-21 June, 2024, Connemara, Ireland, |
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IWRA |
| | 1st Islands Water Congress 4-6 Sept, 2024, Torshavn, Faroe Islands |
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ANATOMY OF ISLANDS |
| | 12th Anatomy of Islands symposium 26-28 Sept, 2024, Jelsa, Hvar Island, Croatia |
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CIS |
| | Critical Island Studies 4th international conference 3-4 Oct, 2024, Manila, Philippines |
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CBD |
| | COP16 21 Oct-1 Nov, 2024, Cali, Colombia |
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UNFCCC |
| | COP29 11-22 November, 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan |
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ISLAND DYNAMICS |
| | DARKNESS II conference, 20-23 January 2025, Nuuk, Greenland |
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JICAS |
| | Islands And Island Studies conference 3-7 June, 2025, Jersey, Channel Islands |
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UNITED NATIONS |
| | UN Ocean Conference 9-13 June, 2025, Nice, France |
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UPEI |
| | 3rd international conference on SIS and SNIJs 16-20 June, 2025, Charlottetown, PEI |
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ISISA |
| | 20th Islands of the World Conference 7-11 July 2026, Shinan County, Jeollanam-do, South Korea |
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