COUNTRY CLEAN-UPS

One million pieces of plastic removed from Commonwealth waters. Read the story behind the milestone and the people who made it happen.

The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign has removed one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, reaching its target in Glasgow ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Discover the two-year journey, from Samoa to Glasgow, and the volunteers and partners who made it possible.

By Itoro Victor-Akpan, Associate Fellow, Royal Commonwealth Society Sport and climate change are deeply interlinked, yet this relationship remains far less spoken about than other defining issues in climate negotiations and discussions; from loss and damage financing, fossil fuel phase-out, and nature-based solutions to climate finance, food systems, and the just transition. And yet sport, with its extraordinary global reach, its vulnerability to extreme weather, and its powe

The Royal Commonwealth Society convened the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Forum 2026 at the Ismaili Centre, bringing together scientists, lawyers and innovators to tackle plastic pollution across the Commonwealth.

Today marks a significant milestone for the Royal Commonwealth Society. One hundred and fifty-eight years ago, this organisation was founded on a belief in the power of the Commonwealth to improve lives and bring people together. That belief remains at the heart of everything we do, and it is what drives the Strategic Plan we are proud to share with you today. Building on real progress The past five years have been a period of real and measurable progress for the Royal Common

We are proud to announce the panel of judges for the Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026: Waves of Change, run by the Royal Commonwealth Society in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the City of London Corporation's Youth Natural Environment Board. Waves of Change invites young people aged 18 to 30 from across the Commonwealth's 56 member nations to document the ocean and its relationship to communities, environments, and the future. Free to enter,

Last month, on 16th May, I had the opportunity to take part in a coastal clean-up at Spinola Bay in Malta, organised by Żibel as part of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign. The event was part of the King's Baton Relay (KBR) in Malta, on its journey through Europe, making it feel we were contributing to something much bigger than a local beach clean. Storm Harry had swept past Malta around a month earlier. Although Żibel had already cleaned Spinola Bay as part of

The Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026: Waves of Change is now open for entries. Ran by the Royal Commonwealth Society in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the City of London Corporation's Youth Natural Environment Board, the competition invites young photographers aged 18 to 30 from across the Commonwealth's 56 member nations to document the ocean and its relationship to communities, environments, and the future. Entry is free, and no prior phot

A community effort to protect one of Bermuda's most beloved nature reserves, joined by the Governor himself and forming part of a landmark Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign to collect one million pieces of plastic before the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Tucked into the eastern parishes of Bermuda, the Walsingham Nature Reserve is one of the island's most ecologically significant habitats, home to Tom Moore's Jungle, the iconic Blue Hole, and some of the last rem

Clean Oceans Catch-Up Series: Episode One with Heidi Tait, Tangaroa Blue Watch the full interview below to learn how Tangaroa Blue is turning knowledge into action for a cleaner, healthier ocean. Clean Oceans Catch Up Episode 1: Tangaroa Blue Welcome to the Clean Oceans Catch-Up Series , where we sit down with partners from the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign to spotlight the people and projects driving real action against plastic pollution across the Commonwealt

On the day of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Campaign Pickup event, the Parley Maldives team, along with members of the Maldives Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Sport, set out from Malé on a 1.5-hour boat journey to the island of Vaavu Fulidhoo. It was scorching when we arrived, and we gathered with the Fulidhoo community including Fulidhoo Council members, Vaavu Atoll School students and staff, and representatives from the Commonwealth, to kick off the event. The Boat Jour

The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign was delighted to support an invaluable clean-up event in Singapore, delivered by the environmental charity Ocean Purpose Project (OPP) and supported by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC). Bringing together volunteers committed to protecting Singapore’s coastal ecosystems, the event was held along the shores of Pasir Ris, an area known both for its natural beauty and its susceptibility to marine debris. The team at O