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Pacific pre-COP31 meeting opens with call for stronger climate action – EnviroNews
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Ministers and climate negotiators from more than 50 countries are gathering in Fiji for the 2026 Pacific Pre-COP meeting, with calls for stronger action to keep the 1.5°C temperature goal within reach and accelerate the global transition to clean energy.
The four-day meeting, which begins Monday, October 5, is being co-hosted by Fiji and Australia and will serve as the last major ministerial meeting ahead of COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye.
A special Leaders’ event will also be held in Tuvalu from October 5 to 6, bringing global decision-makers to one of the countries most exposed to the impacts of rising sea levels and climate change.
The Pre-COP discussions will centre on accelerating the clean energy transition, mobilising climate finance for vulnerable countries, protecting oceans and strengthening the resilience of communities facing increasingly severe climate impacts.
The organisers said disasters ranging from glacier collapse and heatwaves to tropical storms are already affecting millions of people worldwide, underscoring the need for stronger collective action.
They noted that international climate action since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 has helped change the world’s projected warming trajectory.
Before the Paris Agreement was signed, the world was reportedly on course for around 4°C of warming, while renewables accounted for about 23 per cent of global energy generation, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) figures.
Current projections put warming at about 2.6°C, while renewables now account for more than 34 per cent of global electricity generation.
The organisers said the momentum behind renewable energy is also accelerating, with renewables now the cheapest form of energy generation globally and the fastest to deploy.
They added that twice as much renewable energy capacity is expected to be installed between 2025 and 2030 as was installed during the 2019–2024 period.
The Pre-COP meeting is expected to build on this momentum by focusing on practical measures to deliver cleaner and more secure energy, unlock investment and strengthen climate resilience.
Over four days of ministerial sessions and bilateral meetings, delegates will seek to build consensus ahead of COP31 and ensure that countries can share in the employment and economic opportunities created by the renewable energy transition.
Fiji will also host the Vale ni Vanua Knowledge Exchange programme alongside the official meetings. The programme will showcase youth climate leadership, the latest climate science and practical solutions addressing climate impacts in areas including maternal health, oceans and agriculture.
Fiji’s Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change, Lynda Tabuya, said the Pacific’s influence on global climate action had consistently exceeded its geographical size.
“Pre-COP will put Pacific priorities and solutions at the centre of global discussions and help turn commitments into practical action,” she said.
Tabuya stressed the importance of increased investment in blue economy solutions to protect oceans, which she described as crucial to coastal and island nations on the frontline of climate change.
She added that renewable energy could strengthen resilience, reduce fuel costs and support sustainable development across the Pacific region.
For Tuvalu, the stakes are particularly high.
Tuvaluan Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Dr Maina Vakafua Talia, said the Leaders’ event would bring global decision-makers directly to the frontline of climate change and expose them to both the impacts confronting vulnerable communities and the practical measures being taken to protect them.
“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,” Talia said.
He called for the outcomes of both the Leaders’ event and Pre-COP to translate into stronger climate ambition and immediate action.
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President of Negotiations for COP31, Chris Bowen, said the Pacific was at the frontline of the climate crisis, where its impacts were already “real and immediate.”
According to Bowen, hosting Pre-COP in the Pacific was bringing global attention to the region’s climate impacts, opportunities and priorities.
He said Australia would work closely with the COP31 Presidency under Türkiye to secure practical outcomes that strengthen economies, improve energy security and build resilience, particularly across Pacific island nations.
COP31 President and Türkiye’s Minister for Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, said the meeting represented a crucial opportunity for countries to move from commitments to implementation.
“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,” Kurum said.
He said the COP31 Presidency had developed an action plan covering areas including electrification, zero waste, resilient cities and oceans, with climate finance underpinning the proposed measures.
The Pacific Pre-COP meeting is expected to provide a final opportunity for ministers to narrow differences, strengthen cooperation and build political momentum before COP31 in Antalya.
With the meeting focusing on the 1.5°C target, clean energy, climate finance and the ocean-climate connection, Pacific leaders are seeking to ensure that the concerns of highly vulnerable island and coastal states remain central to the global climate negotiations.
The outcome of the discussions will help shape the agenda and expectations for COP31, where countries will face renewed pressure to translate existing climate commitments into concrete action, investment and resilience-building measures.
