Turning the tide on climate change for island communities

Partnering with island communities to build climate resilience anchored in equity and justice.

Solar PV modules on a remote Yasawa Islands in Fiji. Fiji Sustainable Energy goals include sourcing more than 80% of the countrys electricity from renewable energies by 2020, and 100% by 2030.

Our vision is climate resilience for island communities.

The Islands Fund helps build resilient island communities by mobilizing resources and supporting solutions that are equitable, inclusive and low-carbon.

Why our Work Matters

Island communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis despite being least responsible for global emissions. 

While highly vulnerable, indebted, and facing existential climate impacts, islands also have unique yet under-supported opportunities to achieve economy-wide decarbonization and climate breakthroughs.  

Supporting high impact solutions, mobilizing catalytic funding and strengthening island partners can make a real difference.

Silhouettes of a boy and girl playing at the beach during sunset.

The Islands Fund for Climate and Justice partners with island communities to rapidly scale up and strategically deploy funding for climate mitigation and resilience initiatives. We are the first and only pooled philanthropic fund with a geographic focus on islands. The Islands Fund provides strategy, coordination, and catalytic funding in response to the moral imperative and urgent need to support island communities as the least contributing and most impacted by climate change.

Who we are

During the opening of the COP26, 200 women gathered at Mt Yasur, an active volcano on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu. The women hold signs, calling for climate justice in the Pacific.

© Greenpeace

Where we work

The Islands Fund for Climate and Justice partners with island communities to rapidly scale up and strategically deploy funding for climate mitigation and resilience initiatives. We are the first and only pooled philanthropic fund with a geographic focus on islands. The Islands Fund provides strategy, coordination, and catalytic funding in response to the moral imperative and urgent need to support island communities as the least contributing and most impacted by climate change.

Our principles guide our work

Demand-led

Giving is informed by and responsive to peoplesʻ needs on the ground. Strategies and interventions are grounded in local research and analytics, building from the expertise of local partners.

Catalytic

Funding catalyzes and unlocks additional support including from the private sector, and bilateral and multilateral funds. Projects and solutions provide lessons learned for multiple countries and have the potential to scale.

Locally grounded and community focused

Funding strengthens civil society organizations and community groups, prioritizing vulnerable communities and women-led initiatives in islands.

Building long-term capacity

Working with island grantees and partners to identify how funding support can advance projects as well as strengthening institutional capacity and long term organizational resilience of island civil society and community groups.

Agile, transparent and accountable

Operating nimbly and building flexible systems that maintain high levels of responsibility and accountability while moving funds swiftly to where they are needed. Minimizing the time between application and approval, with feedback loops through monitoring, learning and evaluation to help strengthen processes.

High impact

Opportunities at the intersection of climate action, empowering communities, and protecting the natural environment spark multiple benefits. We assess our program against impact objectives to ensure investments demonstrate real-world progress.

Our framework for lasting change

We believe in demand-led strategies that build local capacity and build on climate resilience initiatives.

Accessing financial capital

There is a significant increase in access to climate finance by islands, and a reduction in indebtedness, enabling investments in climate mitigation and adaptation efforts for islands.

Building capacity and shifting power for climate justice

Islands significantly increase and retain local capacity so that government, civil society and businesses have the resources required to implement just and equitable climate solutions.

Strengthening community resilience and eliminating fossil fuel dependence

Island communities are more resilient as a result of economic diversification, stronger environmental protections, more sustainable food systems, and less reliance on fossil fuels.

  • Traditional thatched houses overlooking Auki harbour in Malaita province of the Solomon Islands.

    By 2100, nearly 50 islands are expected to be lost to rising seas – and the rich communities, cultures, biodiversity, species, ecosystems and economies they support and sustain.

  • Tribes at the Mt Hagen cultural show in Papua New Guinea. Historical festival of natives PNG in national clothes and traditional colorful makeup

    Islands represent some of the most culturally diverse areas in the world, but their living heritage and cultural sites (e.g. monuments and archaeological sites) are at risk.

  • Streets are flooded on the island of Bonaire with water from Tropical Storm Bonnie.

    Climate impacts are not a future prospect, they are here and now. Small islands are increasingly affected by increases in temperature, the growing impacts of tropical cyclones, storm surges, droughts, changing precipitation patterns, sea level rise, coral bleaching and invasive species.

  • A healthy coral reef in the Maldives with multi-colored coral and fish.

    Islands have a remarkably high rate of endemism and often represent biodiversity hotspots. Protecting islands' ecosystems will have a significant positive impact on biodiversity as well as reducing vulnerability to natural hazards, protecting cultural heritage and food security of islanders.

  • Dominica after this 2017 mega-hurricane with wind gusts at 440 km/h and super heavy flooding. This bus was pushed up the damaged tree and debris by rushing waters of normally tiny stream in Loubiere village near Roseau.

    Islands struggle disproportionately with increasingly severe extreme weather events, as well as slow onset consequences of climate change like rising sea levels.

  • Split view of mangrove tree in the water above and below sea surface with roots and school of fish underwater in the Caribbean

    Islands coastal wetlands provide immense ecosystem and carbon storage services. The most important coastal ecosystems for mitigating the consequences of climate change are mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs.

  • indigenous women of the Small Namba tribe perform a traditional dance

    The impacts of climate change in islands are unequal and affect vulnerable women the most. Women remain largely absent from decision-making roles, and gender considerations are still not a priority for many governments.

  • Asia seen from space. High quality 3D rendered image, made from ultra high res 20k textures by NASA

    Geopolitical dynamics are a critical opportunity—and challenge—for islands. Islands are becoming a battleground for competition between global superpowers, particularly in the Pacific where climate change is becoming central to U.S.-China competition.

  • Big school of Yellowfin goatfishes (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis) above the coral reef of Fakarava, with silhouettes of divers on the blue. French Polynesia.

    Island economies tend to rely heavily on climate-reliant single sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and fishing. In two out of three island states, tourism represents 20 percent of GDP, and over 40 percent for some.