Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu. Photo: Rosodo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ministers and negotiators from more than 50 countries have gathered in Fiji and Tuvalu for the final major ministerial meeting before the COP31 climate summit, as Pacific island states press for action to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach, unlock climate finance and protect the ocean.
The Pacific Pre-COP, co-hosted by Fiji and Australia, runs from 5 to 8 October in Nadi, alongside a leaders' event in Tuvalu on 5 and 6 October intended to bring global decision-makers to one of the countries most exposed to rising seas, the Pacific Islands News Association reported .
"Tuvalu is a low-lying atoll nation, just an average of two metres above sea level. The decisions we make at Pre-COP and COP31 will be felt by our communities first," Tuvalu's climate minister, Maina Vakafua Talia, said.
"The Leaders' event will bring global decision-makers to the frontlines of climate change and will show both the impacts we face and the practical work underway to protect our communities," he said.
Fiji's climate minister, Lynda Tabuya, said the meeting would "put Pacific priorities and solutions at the centre of global discussions", including greater investment in protecting the ocean and supporting island and coastal communities.
COP31 will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November, with Australia serving as president of negotiations. Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is making his first official visit to Tuvalu for the leaders' event.
"Our region is at the frontline of the climate crisis, where the effects of climate change are real and immediate," Australia's climate minister, Chris Bowen, said.
Türkiye's environment minister and COP31 president, Murat Kurum, said the meeting was the last major opportunity to build momentum before the summit. "We want to remind world leaders that promises do not hold back the sea or shield homes from the fire. Only delivery can save us," he said.
Climate vulnerability is also acute in the Tamil homeland, where a UN report found that Sri Lankan militarisation has worsened the climate vulnerability of Tamils .
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