Fiji, Palau, and Tuvalu are poised to play host to world leaders and climate change ministers as part of the preparations leading up to COP31, with the aim of urging larger nations to step up their emission reduction efforts. The arrangement stems from a complex agreement reached last year that granted Türkiye the main climate summit hosting rights while ensuring a significant role for Australia’s Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen in global negotiations.
Both Australia and the Pacific Island nations view this as an opportunity to spotlight the Pacific’s urgent struggle against climate change. While negotiations regarding the hosting of pre-summit events have been prolonged, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. announced that regional leaders are nearing a consensus that will secure a key role for Palau, Fiji, and Tuvalu in the lead-up to COP31.
Palau is already set to host the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in early September, where Whipps plans to invite other global leaders to attend a high-level climate summit around the same time. He emphasized that the Palau climate meeting would serve as a vital “launching board” to generate momentum for COP climate negotiations in the latter half of the year. The focus will be on encouraging global leaders to commit to helping Pacific nations transition to renewable energy and strengthen their infrastructures against climate-related impacts.
Whipps stated that the PIF will prioritize transitioning to 100 percent renewables, addressing the ocean-climate nexus, and accelerating investment in climate resilience initiatives. With the potential involvement of high-profile leaders, he anticipates a significant amplification of the message concerning these crucial topics.
Fiji is set to host the traditional pre-COP meeting with climate change ministers in October, which will likely include a visit to Tuvalu, a nation especially susceptible to rising sea levels and an active advocate for Pacific climate issues. Minister Bowen remarked that discussions surrounding the pre-COP events are reaching a resolution, with an announcement expected soon. He underscored the importance of bringing senior climate ministers to the Pacific to witness firsthand the impacts of climate change.
Moreover, Whipps extended invitations to U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their participation in the PIF leaders’ meeting, expressing hope that one would be able to attend. As Palau is one of the Compact of Free Association states, it benefits from substantial U.S. funding in exchange for military access.
This convergence of regional efforts not only underscores the significance of the Pacific in the climate discourse but also reflects a collective aspiration to galvanize international action against climate change, fostering hope that meaningful commitments will emerge from these pivotal meetings.