THE Pacific’s biggest regional meeting on energy and transport opened with song, culture and connection.
But behind the ceremony was a stark warning: the Pacific can no longer afford to rely on imported fossil fuels.
As ministers, senior officials and regional leaders gathered here for the Sixth Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting (PRETMM6), the message was clear: The Pacific’s future depends on how quickly it can strengthen energy security, modernise transport systems and transition to cleaner alternatives.
Opening the meeting, PNG Prime Minister James Marape did not mince his words.
“Continued reliance on fossil fuels not only contributes to a heavy carbon footprint but also exposes our economies to external shocks and risks of supply disruption,” Marape said.
For a region where imported fuel powers almost everything from shipping and trade to hospitals, schools and inter-island transport that vulnerability is no longer theoretical.
Marape pointed to recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East as a reminder of how fragile Pacific supply lines remain.
“In times of conflict, energy supply chains can be compromised, leaving small and vulnerable economies like ours effectively held hostage to global price fluctuations and geopolitical uncertainty,” he said.
It is a reality many Pacific families already understand when fuel prices rise, transport costs rise, food costs rise, and everyday life becomes harder.
But Marape said the Pacific now had an opportunity to change course.
He urged leaders to move with urgency towards cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy systems, while transforming transport networks across land and sea.
He also positioned Papua New Guinea as a key regional player in that transition, pointing to its vast hydropower, geothermal, solar and wind potential.
Backing that call, Pacific Community Director-General Paula Vivili said there would be no single solution to the Pacific’s connectivity challenges.
“Scaling connectivity for a prosperous Blue Pacific will not come from one solution, it will come from many actions working together,” Vivili said.
He adds that, “stronger maritime systems, affordable and secure energy, better planning and deeper partnerships would be critical to building a more connected and resilient Pacific.”
But beyond the policy papers and infrastructure discussions, one of the strongest voices of the morning came from the youth.
Iampela Popena brought the room to a standstill with a passionate call for youth empowerment, reminding leaders that connectivity is not just about roads, ports or electricity, it is about people.
“Our young people are not waiting to be led. They are ready to lead,” Popena said.
Speaking on behalf of Papua New Guinea’s youth, who make up around 60 per cent of the population, she said, “ young people are already creating solutions, building businesses and advocating for their communities”.
“From rural communities to urban centers, we see youth already driving change creating solutions, building businesses, advocating for their communities, and standing for something greater than themselves,” she said.
“But leadership must meet them halfway.”
“They need systems that believe in them, they need leadership that trusts them and they need platforms that elevate them,” Popena said.
Her message tied closely into the wider theme of PRETMM6: that the Pacific’s transition, whether in energy, transport or climate resilience, cannot succeed without investing in the people who will carry it forward.
As ministerial talks begin this week, leaders will tackle some of the region’s toughest questions: how to reduce dependence on imported fuel, how to build safer and cleaner transport systems, and how to fund that transition.
But hanging over the meeting is one key question many officials have been working towards: whether ministers will endorse the proposed Pacific One Maritime Framework, a Pacific-led roadmap expected to shape the future of regional maritime systems.
For many in the room, the time for declarations has passed.
The real test now is whether the Pacific can turn vision into action and how quickly that action can reach the communities who need it most.
