The Southern Hemisphere extratropical atmospheric circulation has experienced a strong positive trend in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Understanding the cause of this change is crucial for projecting future regional climate change. Here, we analyse the contributing factors to the trend in the SAM under both historical and future conditions. We show that the contribution from tropical Pacific climate trends, marked by a La Niña-like trend in recent decades (1979-2014), is comparable in magnitude to the effects of greenhouse gases (GHG) and stratospheric ozone (O3) depletion. The results demonstrate the pivotal role of tropical Pacific trends in the future Southern Hemisphere climate and the need to improve simulations of tropical Pacific climate.