PACIFIC climate ministers have reinforced a united regional agenda ahead of COP31, pledging to strengthen the region’s negotiating influence as global geopolitical uncertainty threatens progress on climate action.
Meeting at the sixth Pacific Climate Ministers Talanoa in Sydney, ministers agreed to advance shared regional priorities through the COP31 Pacific Partnership, with less than 100 days remaining before key international climate meetings, including the Pre-COP in Fiji and COP31 in Türkiye.
Co-chaired by Solomon Islands Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management Wayne Ghemu, representing Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Chair Prime Minister Matthew Wale, and Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, the Talanoa focused on coordinating Pacific positions and preparations for the upcoming global climate negotiations.
Ghemu said the Pacific’s greatest strength lay in presenting a united front.
“Through the Pacific Islands Forum and the COP31 Pacific Partnership, we have shown that when we speak with one voice, we amplify our influence, strengthen our negotiating position and present solutions that are greater than the sum of our individual efforts,” he said.
“In an increasingly uncertain world, our regional solidarity is not simply a matter of convenience; it is a strategic necessity.”
Bowen said the upcoming Pre-COP meetings would provide an opportunity for Pacific countries to shape international climate negotiations before world leaders convene at COP31.
“Pre-COP will position Pacific voices to shape global climate negotiations, bringing governments and investors to the region,” Bowen said.
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Director General Sefanaia Nawadra said Pacific communities continued to experience the impacts of climate change daily, making stronger regional cooperation essential.
“Our Pacific Islands communities feel the impacts of climate change in their daily lives, so it is imperative that we do everything within our collective power to address this issue,” Nawadra said.
“Together, we have a responsibility to ensure Pacific priorities are amplified in the global negotiations that will shape our future.”
Pacific Islands Forum Deputy Secretary General Desna Solofa warned that shifting global politics presented fresh challenges for the region, including concerns over weakening climate finance, growing resistance to science and the ability of multilateral institutions to respond effectively to the climate crisis.
“It is therefore very critical that we are agile and remain ahead of these issues, particularly in how we implement the COP31 Pacific Partnership,” she said.
Ministers also reviewed progress in Pacific climate diplomacy, including engagement with Türkiye, outcomes from the recent UN climate talks in Bonn, discussions during London Climate Action Week, and updates from the COP31 Pacific Climate Envoys.
The meeting reaffirmed the Pacific’s commitment to ensuring regional priorities remain central to global climate negotiations as preparations intensify for the Pre-COP meetings in Fiji, the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau and COP31 later this year.
