International law requires a nation to have physical territory to exist. So what happens when a country loses its land? For Tuvalu, this isn’t a theoretical question but a real possibility. At COP27, Tuvalu presented the world with a heartbreaking view of the future: Tuvalu would become the world’s First Digital Nation. The story reached 2.1 billion across 358 global outlets, provoking citizens from 160 countries to visit Tuvalu.tv, 23% writing to their COP27 delegate – and overcoming decades of resistance to secure a dedicated loss and damage fund. 26 nations now recognise Tuvalu’s sovereignty irrespective of physical land.

Tuvalu is nine Pacific islands, with an elevation of just 4.6m above sea level. Estimated to be submerged by 2050, displacing 12,000 citizens with no place to call home. With the lowest GDP of all UN nations, Tuvalu can’t afford to fund climate adaptation measures alone. Yet for 30 years, wealthy nations have resisted agreeing to a loss and damage fund for nations like Tuvalu. And since 1933, The Montevideo Convention has defined a “nation” as requiring physical territory. Without land, Tuvalu wouldn’t exist. Its sovereign survival dependant on other nations changing international law. We needed a strategy and idea that could achieve four supremely ambitious objectives: COP27 agreement to a loss & damage fund for nations impacted by climate change. Diplomatic recognition of Tuvalu’s sovereignty even without physical land. Global media coverage to raise Tuvalu’s plight worldwide and Citizen lobbying of environment ministers to drive change.

Of the UN’s 193 member countries, Tuvalu is the smallest by population and has the lowest GDP. It’s one of only 7 nations listed as Least Developed Countries that are also “highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks” as part of the UN’s Alliance of Small Island States. Tuvalu wasn’t just up against the rising oceans, it was also punching way above its geopolitical weight. Alone, Tuvalu didn’t enjoy either the political weight or economic heft to survive in a landless future.

But, the most heartbreaking loss facing Tuvalu isn’t economic or geopolitical, it’s human. For Tuvaluans, connection to land is central to their identity. Home to their culture and ancestors, the islands contain the mana of their people. It’s not just a physical connection, but a shared spiritual one. A connection that would be shattered not just by the loss of land to live on, but the loss of a nation to belong to. For generations, three values have been at the core of Tuvaluan culture: 1. Kaitasi – shared responsibility 2. Olaga fakafenua – interconnectedness 3. Fale-pili – being a good neighbour By bringing these values to the forefront of international diplomacy, Tuvalu is rising above its situation as a tiny island in the middle of the ocean on the edge of existence - as a pioneering world-leader on climate change.

Tuvalu is nine islands in the Pacific. Elevated just 4.6m above sea level, it’ll be the first nation lost to climate change, submerged by 2050.

After WWI, the Montevideo Convention defined a ‘nation’ as:

1. A permanent population

2. A defined territory

3. Government, and

4. Capacity to enter into relations with other states

Without land, Tuvalu wouldn’t exist.

So, the outcome of COP27 was crucial to Tuvalu’s future.

As the smallest of the UN’s 193 member countries, with the lowest GDP, climate adaptation would require funding beyond its means.

Possible only through unanimous agreement to loss and damage compensation for nations like Tuvalu. This idea was originally proposed in 1991. Rebuffed again in 2019. And again at COP26.

CORE CHALLENGE:

Get world leaders to commit diplomatically and financially towards Tuvalu’s continued existence as a nation, despite 30 years of resistance to financial responsibility, and international law established since 1933.

Four insights inspired our strategy.

SOCIETY: Global culture obsessed with Plan A, in denial of Plan B.

“There’s No Plan B” has echoed from t-shirts to the Eiffel Tower. Repeated by UN Secretary General; “We don’t have plan B because there’s no planet B”.

BRAND: Tuvalu acting on becoming a landless nation.

No global action forced Tuvalu to take steps towards becoming a landless nation:

Changing international law.

Digitally mapping landmass and borders.

Recording cultural heritage.

Transferring services to the cloud.

CATEGORY: From victim to pioneering world-leader.

There are three core Tuvaluan values:

1. Kaitasi -shared responsibility

2. Olaga fakafenua – interconnectedness

3. Fale-pili –good neighbours

All combining to reposition Tuvalu from victim to pioneering world-leader.

CUSTOMER: Citizens don’t contemplate countries existing online.

‘Digitisation’ has touched everything. Yet one element remains physical for everyone - our country. Our revelation, a simple provocation:

Tuvalu would become the world’s First Digital Nation.

The idea was to become The World’s First Digital Nation.

However a complete digitization would not be complete before COP27.

We recreated digitally the first part of Tuvalu to be lost to rising seas: Te Afualiku islet, which would become Minister Kofe’s COP27 speech location, laying bare Tuvalu’s plight in the face of global inaction.

With three-pronged communications: Minister Kofe’s COP27 address, global media, and citizen lobbying of local environment ministers.

Minister Kofe addressed the world from the first part of the Digital Nation, “Because the world has not acted…we in the Pacific have had to act… as our land disappears, we have no choice to become the World’s First Digital Nation”

We targeted global news media , while the address and global media coverage contained a call-to-action via Tuvalu.tv. Engaging people worldwide to “Save the Real Tuvalu” by emailing their environment minister.

DIPLOMATIC OBJECTIVE: Recognition of landless sovereignty.

Target: 6+ nations recognise Tuvalu’s statehood.

Result: 26 nations recognised Tuvalu’s statehood.

FINANCIAL OBJECTIVE: Compensation fund for climate damage

Target: Delegates of 132 countries commit to a loss and damage fund.

Result: Delegates of all 197 countries committed to a loss and damage fund.

Three decades since first proposed.

“We have determined a way forward on decades-long conversation on funding for loss and damage.”

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary

COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVE: International media coverage

Target: Coverage in 100+ news outlets worldwide.

Result: Immediate coverage 358+ news outlets worldwide.

(The New York Times, BBC, Reuters, The Guardian, CNN, Al Jazeera, Daily Mail, DW, The Australian, ABC and World Economic Forum, and more since)

BEHAVIOUR OBJECTIVE: Global advocacy

Target: Citizens from 50+ countries visit Tuvalu.tv

Result: Citizens from 160 countries visited Tuvalu.tv

Target: 10% of visitors email their government.

Result: 23% of visitors emailed their government.