UN pre-COP climate talks open in Fiji as Pacific leaders demand urgent action

The UN "pre-COP" climate summit opened on Monday in the Fijian city of Nadi, with Pacific nations attempting to thrust the immediate realities of global warming back onto the international stage.

The week-long talks, which will also see delegates travel to the low-lying atoll nation of Tuvalu, serve as a diplomatic prelude to the larger COP31 global negotiations scheduled to take place next month in Turkey.

Opening the stakeholder programme on behalf of Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Fiji’s Climate Minister Lynda Tabuya delivered a stark warning. She said the Pacific’s message to global negotiators consists of three non-negotiable points: keeping the 1.5-degree warming limit alive, directing climate finance to vulnerable communities, and prioritising the health of the world's oceans.

The widening funding and survival gap

The urgency is backed by severe projections. A UN report published in August revealed that Pacific island nations are experiencing sea-level rises at twice the global average, threatening to displace up to 1.2 billion people worldwide by 2050.

Despite this, the gap between what developing nations need for climate adaptation—between $310 billion and $365 billion—and the $26 billion in finance provided in 2023 remains vast.

Australian Climate Minister Chris Bowen, who is presiding over the COP31 negotiations, told delegates that the discussions would focus on using the direct expertise of those living at the forefront of the crisis. Australia has promoted the pre-COP as a crucial bridge to bring global attention to the Pacific, estimating that 4,000 delegates from 60 countries would take part.

A thin guest list raises concerns

Yet the summit’s opening has been overshadowed by a thin guest list. Fewer than 12 heads of state or government have publicly confirmed they will attend, and on the streets of Nadi, many local residents were unaware the event was happening.

The low turnout has caused quiet resentment. Part of the summit will include a one-day retreat to Tuvalu, where the highest point of the capital, Funafuti, is only two metres above sea level and two of its nine atolls are already sinking.

Ahead of the talks, Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo warned the UN General Assembly that sea-level rise is a "present reality" demanding decisive action. Rajneel Singh, a marine scientist who recently documented massive coral death near Tuvalu, remarked that the empty seats at the summit made it feel as though "nobody cares".

Among the high-level delegates who did arrive is Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Shisir Khanal. Nepal is still recovering from severe Himalayan floods in August that left nearly 1,500 people dead and thousands more missing.

Australia's climate contradiction

The meeting has also turned a spotlight on Australia, which is co-hosting the upcoming COP31 process with Pacific nations despite remaining a major coal exporter.

Shiva Gounden of Greenpeace accused Canberra of using "double talk" and urged the Australian government to back up its regional rhetoric by actively phasing out fossil fuels.