The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

SPREP

Brief overview

Marine litter is a pressing environmental, health and economic development problem for Pacific island countries. Plastic pollution in particular, threatens the livelihoods of Pacific island communities that are dependent on coastal systems for food, trade and tourism. Plastics adversely affect fish and other marine life, coral reefs, beaches and mangrove forests, and devalues the amenity of coastlines, threatening the growing tourism sector.

For the Pacific, marine litter and plastic pollution are covered in the Pacific Marine Litter Action Plan (MLAP) 2018-2025, which is a subset of the Cleaner Pacific 2025 regional waste management and pollution control strategy, which seeks to further strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration.

Many Pacific countries have already commenced or announced plastic reduction initiatives such as plastic bag bans or levies, plastic straw and polystyrene take away container bans and container deposit levies. These initiatives emphasise the Pacific region’s strong commitment to address marine plastic pollution, which the POLP is working to support through actions to refuse, reduce and find alternatives to single-use plastics.

At the negotiations for an international treaty on plastic pollution including in the marine environment, PSIDS are continuing to lobby for an ambitious treaty that considers the full lifecycle of plastics and emphasise the need for equity, finance and inclusive representation in global negotiations.

Your organisation’s goals

Tourism significantly contributes to waste management challenges in the Pacific, emphasising the sector’s role in advancing initiatives for cleaner coastal environments. As tourism represents a crucial economic sector, it must balance its growth with a responsibility to protect the unique and fragile ecosystems that define our Pacific identity.

SPREP through the Australian Government funded Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP) is collaborating the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) to jointly implement activities to reduce single use plastics (SUP) across the Pacific tourism industry.

The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent recognises the interlinkages between economic development, our oceans and environment. At sector level, the 2030 Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework (PSTPF) provides guidance for elevating and aligning sustainable tourism priorities and actions. Goal 4 of the PSTPF recognises the importance of healthy islands and oceans, including priorities on waste management.

Describe your innovation

The Standards and Certification Programme (SCP) for Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) in the Pacific Islands Tourism Industry have been developed in partnership with the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Australian Government-funded Pacific Ocean Litter Project, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

The SCP serves as a comprehensive resource for industry stakeholders and nations aiming to eliminate SUPs. They establish a benchmark and offer valuable recommendations, considerations, and actions that tourism enterprises can utilise to assess their current operations and align with good practice examples. They correspond to and enhance the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standards, as well as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria for Hotels, Destinations, and Tour Operators.

The initiative represents a bold and necessary commitment to protect our environment, safeguard our oceans, and build a more resilient, sustainable future for the tourism industry. Together, we can ensure that tourism remains a force for good while preserving our natural beauty that travellers seek to experience.

The Building Our Loss and Damage (BOLD) Response Project

The Building Our Loss and Damage (BOLD) Response Project is a running up to December 2029, funded under the Federal Republic of Germany through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Project is being implemented by a consortium led by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and the Climate Analytics, across five Pacific Island Countries Fiji, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The BOLD Response Project aims to better understand, measure, and respond to loss and damage in the Pacific. This will involve integration of loss and damage in national policies and institutions, regional collaboration and planning for loss and damage, and increased access to funding to help in addressing loss and damage. The project will have a particular focus on noneconomic loss and damage. The project is implemented through four (4) Work Packages:

How is this solution is innovative?

The standards support a diverse range of industry stakeholders, from established enterprises to newcomers. The framework addresses the needs of both large and small to medium-sized businesses, ensuring practicality. In addition to the certification framework, an implementation toolkit is available to help nations and industry stakeholders adopt sustainable practices.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs?

The Standards and Certification Programme (SCP) for Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) in the Pacific Islands Tourism Industry provides guidance for national tourism organisations and tourism businesses. It is aligned with globally recognised sustainable
tourism standards including the UN Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. It could be incorporated into national standards frameworks and actionable sustainability programmes at industry level.

How is the solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

The SCP has been developed in consultation with the Pacific tourism sector. It sits within the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standards framework and is available for PICTs to adopt. There is no fee to sign-up to or access the SCP.

Locations (country, island, or community) where this solution has been piloted and/or implemented

The SCP sits with SPTO in Suva Fiji. Under the SPREP/SPTO partnership facilitated through POLP, in-country socialisation of the SCP and stakeholder engagement through the early adopters programme has taken place in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. Plans are in pace to extend this to Vanuatu and Niue. SPREP and SPTO are designing the next phase of its partnership in terms of the SCP which will focus on data collection and monitoring.

Learn more:

Phasing Out of SUPs in the Pacific: Standards, Certification Framework and Toolkit

Contacts:

filomenan@sprep.org

malakii@sprep.org

mmatou@vanuatu.gov.vu

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.