Solomon Islands Deputy Prime Minister Francis Sade has backed a US$202.2 million Commonwealth conservation initiative aimed at accelerating efforts to protect at least 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.
Sade attended the launch of the Commonwealth Nature Initiative (CNI) on Nov. 2 during the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.
The initiative secured an initial US$202.2 million in pledges from governments, philanthropic organisations and conservation partners. It also aims to raise a further US$1 billion by 2030 to finance conservation programmes across Commonwealth member states.
Speaking at the launch aboard the Fortescue Green Pioneer, Sade said the initiative would provide an important platform for mobilising resources and coordinating conservation efforts, particularly for Small Island Developing States such as Solomon Islands.
" For our communities, nature is not just our environment, it is our life source," Sade said, adding that Solomon Islands would align its national development strategies with the initiative.
He said the country was committed to advancing conservation, sustainable resource management and climate resilience.
The CNI brings together governments, Indigenous peoples, local communities and philanthropic organisations across the Caribbean, Pacific, Africa and other regions.
Its priorities include establishing and expanding terrestrial and marine protected areas, strengthening Indigenous peoples' rights and local governance, and supporting conservation financing programmes.
These include the Eastern Caribbean's 30x30 Transformation Program, the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership and the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity initiative.
The initiative supports the global 30x30 target, which calls for protecting at least 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.
The Commonwealth said its member countries collectively account for nearly a quarter of the world's land area and more than 40% of global ocean exclusive economic zones, giving the bloc a significant role in international biodiversity protection.
For Solomon Islands, participation in the initiative reinforces its efforts to protect marine and terrestrial ecosystems while strengthening climate resilience and supporting sustainable livelihoods.
