1 July 2026, Port Vila - Wave Makers at the inaugural Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 2026 in Vanuatu have been dared to imagine the transformative power of concrete innovative solutions and collective actions to build the Pacific’s resilience against the threat of climate change.
The challenge was offered at the official opening of PIFCE in Port Vila today. The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Honourable Jotham Napat, opened the three-day Forum at the Warwick Hotel, following a traditional welcome.
“Innovation in the Pacific must be grounded in our realities and guided by our values. It must connect science with traditional knowledge. It must empower communities, strengthen institutions, protect ecosystems, and create sustainable economic opportunities for future generations,” said Hon. Napat.
“True innovation is not measured only by technological advancement. It is measured by its ability to improve lives, reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience, and deliver sustainable development outcomes for our people.”
PIFCE was originally fostered through a proposal developed jointly by Hon. Minister Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change, and the Vanuatu-based charitable association V-Lab. Guided by the theme “Champions of Innovation for Sustainable and Resilient Futures: Harnessing Ideas and Knowledge to Advance Pacific Solutions”, the Forum is attended by Government Ministers, officials, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, private sector leaders, and academic institutions.
Prime Minister Napat reminded that innovation cannot be confined to laboratories or policy documents. He urged: “Innovation must reach villages, islands, schools, farmers, fishers, women entrepreneurs, and young leaders. It must support locally led adaptation. It must strengthen indigenous knowledge systems.
“It must enable communities to become active architects of resilience rather than passive recipients of assistance. The most effective climate solutions often emerge from the lived experiences of our people.
“Our responsibility is to create enabling environments where these solutions can be nurtured, scaled, and shared throughout the Pacific. As we begin this Forum, I encourage all participants to think boldly and act collectively.”
PIFCE is co-organised by the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC)/Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). SPREP Director General, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, congratulated the Government of Vanuatu for their leadership in climate action, and hosting a showcase of the Pacific people’s creativity and resilience through innovation and climate action.
“The Pacific does not wait to be saved. It leads,” said Mr Nawadra. “Imagine if after this forum, every Pacific nation agreed to take ownership of one climate solution and share it freely with all the others. Imagine if every climate policy affecting the Pacific had to be co-designed with the women on its frontline before it could be signed.
“Imagine if the ancestral knowledge that Pacific communities have held for generations was formally woven into every climate model, every scientific report, and every policy decision made about this region.
“Imagine if every solution, innovation, and idea shared at this forum became part of a permanent Pacific Climate Solutions Library, free and open to every government, school, community, and researcher across the region. Imagine if no Pacific family ever had to leave their home because of climate change.
“Our knowledge, shared. Our solutions, multiplied. No more starting from scratch. No more reinventing the wheel on 22 different islands. Just the collective intelligence of a region that learned, finally, to move as one.
“Let us use this forum as a foundation for concrete solutions and collective actions to build our resilience against the against the existential threat of climate change through innovation and climate action.”
PIFCE is supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, British High Commission Port Vila and the United Kingdom Development from the UK Government. Ambassador of Japan to Vanuatu, His Excellency Naohisa Okuda said Japan is proud to support the aspirations of PIFCE efforts through its partnership with the Pacific region.
“Let us take inspiration from the idea of wave maker,” said Mr Okuida. “Let us ensure that the ideas shared here create momentum, that partnerships formed here generate impact, and that the energy of this forum carries forward beyond these days.
“Together, we can turn ideas into action, innovation into impact and collaboration into lasting resilience.”
NextGen Youth Ambassador, Miss Vepaiamele Trief, also addressed the plenary, reminding: “Children will be most affected by climate change, and our voices must be central to climate discussions shaping our future. We are asking for the space, agency, and resources to lead solutions in our own Pacific way.”
The inaugural Pacific Innovation Forum on Climate and Environment (PIFCE) is held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 1–3 July 2026.
Attended by government Ministers, officials, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, private sector leaders, and academic institutions from across the Pacific, PIFCE is an initiative of the Government of Vanuatu.
It is co-organised by the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC)/Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and V-Lab Vanuatu.
It is supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, British High Commission Port Vila and the United Kingdom Development from the UK Government
To find out more, visit: https://pcccinnovation.com/pifce2026/