For vulnerable nations and communities in regions like the Pacific, keeping warming to 1.5C with limited overshoot is about much more than the science; it’s about survival. In this panel, we bring together researchers from across three IUCA collaborating institutions in the Oceania region - Monash University, UNSW and the University of Melbourne - to discuss their research and work with Pacific partners on the oceans, governance, finance and education dimensions of keeping 1.5 alive.​