Against the backdrop of accelerating global climate disruption that disproportionately threatens low-lying coastal nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Azerbaijan’s COP29 Presidency have launched a new request for proposals, opening access to $5 million in dedicated climate funding for on-the-ground projects across 25 Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The announcement was timed to coincide with the kickoff of London Climate Action Week, marking the next phase of collaboration between the two bodies that launched two joint flagship climate initiatives in April 2026.
At the core of this partnership is the COP29 Presidency–Commonwealth Fund for Small Island Developing States, a five-year resiliency initiative that allows national governments of all eligible Commonwealth SIDS to apply for project grants of up to $200,000. The fund will prioritize three core impact areas: boosting community-level climate resilience, reversing declining ocean health, and scaling up accessible sustainable energy solutions across SIDS. This funding pool is designed to translate national climate action plans laid out by SIDS governments into tangible, on-the-ground progress by strengthening domestic institutional capacity, refining local policy and regulatory frameworks, attracting additional public and private climate investment, and leveraging collaborative partnership platforms developed through COP29 Presidency programming. Project selection will prioritize practical, implementable, high-impact proposals that deliver inclusive benefits, with a specific focus on marginalized groups including Indigenous peoples, local communities, women, and youth.
Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General for Programmes, Ambassador Tanmaya Lal, emphasized that coordinated collective action is the only viable path forward to address the global climate crisis. “Climate change is a global challenge. It requires action, and none of us can do it alone, and it requires partnership – partnerships such as the one that brings us together today,” Lal noted. He added that this initiative builds on the inaugural SIDS Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change, convened by the COP29 Presidency in Baku two years prior, and aligns with the core focus of the Commonwealth’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which centers on leveraging cross-stakeholder partnerships to drive climate action.
His Excellency Elshad Isgandarov, Ambassador at Large of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representative of the COP29 Presidency, reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s long-term commitment to deepening collaborative ties with SIDS. “Azerbaijan is firmly committed to deepening its partnership with Small Island Developing States. Our successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement and the convening of the first-ever SIDS Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change during COP29 in Baku have fostered greater trust, confidence, and understanding among our nations,” Isgandarov said. Amid a global contraction in available international development finance, Isgandarov noted that the partnership with the Commonwealth aims to support country-led, innovative climate solutions that can attract scaled blended finance through expanded collaboration with global climate funds, multilateral development banks, and private sector investors. The initiative is framed as a core part of the lasting COP29 legacy, with new partnership platforms and programming continuing to be developed in coming years.
The fund is structured to support at least one government-endorsed project in each of the 25 eligible Commonwealth SIDS. Priority funding areas cover a broad range of climate needs: climate mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem restoration, conservation and sustainable natural resource management, and a just transition to renewable energy. Proposals focused on complementary priorities including early warning climate systems, climate risk planning, nature-based climate solutions, marine protection, sustainable fisheries management, and resilient renewable energy infrastructure will also receive strong consideration.
This joint funding initiative underscores the Commonwealth’s longstanding commitment to advancing partnership-driven action that delivers direct support to climate-vulnerable member states and helps local communities build safer, more resilient, and more prosperous futures. It aligns directly with the official theme of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM): “Accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous Commonwealth”. CHOGM will convene in Antigua and Barbuda this coming November, just weeks before the next UN climate conference, COP31, which will be hosted in Antalya, Türkiye, and co-hosted by Commonwealth member Australia. Proposals will be reviewed and selected by the partnership in due course.