Who we are
Climate Collective Zendath Kes (CCZK) is the leading First Nations-led not-for-profit climate work specialist in Zenadth Kes (The Torres Strait Islands). CCZK works on country with Torres Strait Islander communities on adaptation and impact living initiatives and provides specialised Torres Strait climate advocacy from community level through to the globe stage. We are inspired by the work of Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai (plaintiffs of the Australian Climate Case, Pabai Pabai vs. The Commonwealth) and our duty to our sacred land and sea country, our elders, and generations past, present, and yet to come.
Through our advocacy, we are bringing to light the catastrophic impacts of climate change globally, particularly in communities where its impacts go largely unheard or ignored. We are fighting against the loss of our lands, languages, and cultures. We are rallying supporters across the world to help expedite the transition from fossil fuels, putting particular pressure on governments to drive this shift.
About our Founder
Barbara Ibuai, a Zenadth Kes woman from Saibai Island, is a prominent advocate specialising in community-controlled climate impact advocacy and resilience planning in the Torres Strait. Barbara has an extensive record in diverse and high-pressure environments, including roles with the Australian Diplomatic Corp, Australian Maritime Border Enforcement, and Pacific Peace Monitoring in Papua New Guinea.
As part of her advocacy work, Barbara is the founder of Climate Collective Zenadth Kes (CCZK). CCZK is a not-for-profit organisation working with advocates around the globe to fight climate change, and sees Barbara initiating, designing, and leading a climate impact on-country project on Saibai Island. In this role, Barbara flies around the world making urgent appeals for action against climate harm, recently representing Australia at COP30 in Brazil and attending the Crisis Climate Summit in Canberra in October 2025. Barbara is also the Principle, Climate Advocacy & Resilience Lead on Saibai Island and a Senior Project Officer for the Torres Strait Regional Authority, contributing to environmental management and strategic policy initiatives.
Barbara has extended her creative talent into social impact film production, leveraging unique cultural insights to promote grassroots truth-telling. Most recently, Barbara was the producer, cultural broker, and translator on the highly anticipated climate impact feature documentary “Testimony“, following the journey of Torres Strait Island Elders as they sue the Australian Federal Government for failing to protect their land and communities.
You can connect with Barbara on LinkedIn
Why we exist
Our islands are disappearing
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, intermediate to high emissions pathways over the coming century will result in global mean sea level rises of between 1-2 metres by 2100.
The Torres Strait Regional Authority states sea levels have been increasing at about twice the global average rate across the Torres Strait Islands and are estimated to have been between 6-8 mm per year over the past decade. The highest point on the island of Saibai is only 1.7 metres above sea level.
Like with many communities facing climate crises, losing our land means losing our culture, history, language, and way of life. As oceans continue to rise, it’s not only our homes that are being destroyed, but also irreplaceable cultural heritage and sacred sites, including burial sites and places of spiritual significance. For Torres Strait Islanders, our past, present, and future generations all exist together; therefore, losing the islands means losing not just the homes of current generations, but all those that have gone and will be to come.
This is not a future state for the Torres Strait Islands. We are living in climate harm now. We are packing our bags and leaving. We are Australians; this is all of our story. Whilst catastrophic climate crises are happening all over the country and the world, we are just the first Australians to go under.
However, this is not a time to give up. The Australian government, along with other governments around the world, can implement more effective solutions to safeguard our communities and reduce the worst impacts by taking immediate efforts to set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Holding the Australian Federal Government accountable
In October 2021, Uncles Pabai Pabai and Paul Kabai brought a class action against the Australian Federal Government, alleging it had breached its duty of care to protect the Torres Strait Islands and its peoples from the impacts of climate change and requested recognition of the cultural loss and harm from rising sea levels and climate-induced flooding. Nearly four years later, in July 2025, despite acknowledging the existential threat of climate change to Torres Strait Island communities, the Federal Court judge determined the government does not have a duty of care to protect against its impacts and declined to provide any form of legal recognition of cultural harm.
Just eight days after the decision was handed down, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered a landmark advisory opinion stating that countries have a legal obligation to limit climate change. The ICJ said that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is a legally binding target, with countries facing reparations if they fail to act against climate harm.
The ICJ ruling has reaffirmed the Torres Strait Islanders’ case against the federal government and fuelled the fight against climate inaction in the region. It also builds on previous international cases, including the successful complaint by the Torres Strait 8, resulting in the United Nations Human Rights Committee finding the Australian Government is violating its human rights obligations to Torres Strait Islanders through climate change inaction.
Climate Collective Zenadth Kes was created to build a unified, collective voice against climate harm, starting with the battle to save the Torres Strait and its lands, languages, and cultures. Our current focus is on bringing Torres Strait Islander voices into the rooms that matter, opening doors for conversations with decision-makers to bring the climate crisis in the Torres Strait Islands to the forefront of climate change action in Australia.
On November 11, 2025, Uncles Pabai Pabai and Paul Kabai filed their appeal to the Full Federal Court, continuing their fight to save the Torres Strait.
What we’re working on
Barbara Ibuai, our founder and Zenadth Kes woman from Saibai, is travelling the world making urgent appeals for action against climate harm. From speaking at COP30 in Brazil to attending the Climate Crisis Summit in Canberra, Barbara is at the forefront of the effort to save her beloved home and prevent similar fates for other at-risk communities.
On the ground, CCZK will conduct its Impact Living pilot project on the island of Saibai that aims to build community and cultural resilience and connection in the face of the climate crisis, starting with our Men’s Traditional Leadership, Ecological & Well Being Program. We aspire to branch into neighbouring islands in the Top West, and eventually the wider region.
Community plans will be centred around the three key focus areas – land, language, and people, the trinity of identity for Torres Strait Islanders.
Each island will have an Elders Council that meets annually on all community climate projects to provide their deep local knowledge and guide the strategic direction of ongoing work. The wider community will also be invited to attend climate action events.
Follow our blog for updates and come back to our site as we continue to add more insights and resources on the climate crisis and how we can work together to save the Torres Strait Islands and thousands of other communities impacted by climate harm.