Pacific leaders have warned that the international agreement to move away from fossil fuels must remain intact as countries prepare for next month’s COP31 climate summit.
Speaking during climate talks in Tuvalu, Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the commitment made at the 2023 COP28 summit in Dubai was already an agreed international position and should not be reopened. He said Pacific nations would continue pressing governments to follow through on the pledge.
The warning comes as leaders from across the Pacific gather for pre-COP discussions focused on limiting global warming to 1.5C, expanding climate finance and strengthening protection for vulnerable island states.
Tuvalu is at the centre of the discussions because of its exposure to rising sea levels. The country is averaging only about two metres above sea level, while its surrounding waters have risen about 15 centimetres over the past three decades, roughly twice the global average. A major land-reclamation project is also under way to create additional land and protect communities from flooding.
Australia is hosting the preparatory talks but faces criticism from Pacific governments and environmental groups over its continued coal and gas expansion. A major coal mine expansion in New South Wales was recently approved at the state level and is awaiting federal consideration.
The dispute is likely to remain prominent as governments negotiate climate commitments and financing ahead of COP31 in Turkey.
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