Fourteen Pacific Island countries are considering an expansive new climate treaty at the annual leaders’ summit of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF). Pacific Island nations are considered some of the most vulnerable to climate change effects and have pushed strongly for significant climate action. The proposed legal model, written by the Pacific Island Climate Action Network, would be the first international treaty to ban or phase out fossil fuels. The treaty is viewed as a major step toward the 1.5°C target signaled by the Paris Agreement, with measures to halt subsidies for fossil fuel mining or consumption. Under the proposed treaty, there would be a moratorium on new or expanding coal mines. Provisions would also include a new Pacific framework to grant “universal access” to clean energy by 2030. As such, signatories would be legally bound to clean energy targets. Moreover, the climate treaty would also address climate-related migration and adaptation, establishing a fund to provide compensation for communities suffering under climate change-related losses. The ambitious model treaty, if agreed upon, may be implemented by 2018. The PIDF was established in 2013 and excludes Australia and New Zealand. The 2016 summit is taking place this week in the Solomon Islands. For the full story, see https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/14/pacific-islands-nations-consider-worlds-first-treaty-to-ban-fossil-fuels.