In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Tuvalu urges COP31 to deliver action, not procedural debates
2. PACIFIC — Pacific Pre-COP puts small Island states at centre of COP31: Bowen
3. PACIFIC — Pacific needs climate action, not more promises: Tabuya
4. PACIFIC — Turkey says Pacific Pre-cop built momentum for COP31
5. PACIFIC — With the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, Pacific countries look to turn political momentum to delivery at COP31
6. PACIFIC — Australia, Türkiye to take forward presidency-led decision at COP31
7. PACIFIC — UN climate chief urges COP31 to turn climate promises into action
8. PACIFIC — Pacific energy transition needs bigger, faster financing Climate change
9. FIJI — Three police officers charged with constable Racagi’s murder
10. PACNEWS BIZ — PNG calls for shift from climate finance policies to investment and implementation
11. PACNEWS BIZ — U.S secures Pacific bluefin tuna gains, pushes fisheries research and electronic monitoring
12. PACNEWS BIZ — After 26 years, Maota Airport reopens in Savai’i
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Strengthening Pacific voices in the science shaping global climate action
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — “They came to give up their souls” – Pacific puts nature at the heart of climate action
PAC – PREPCOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Tuvalu urges COP31 to deliver action, not procedural debates
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Tuvalu has urged countries heading to COP31 in Türkiye to move beyond negotiations and procedural disputes and make firm commitments to act now on the climate crisis.
Tuvalu Climate Change Minister Dr Maina Vakafua Talia made the call at the closing ceremony of Fiji’s hosting of the Pacific Pre-COP31, following leaders’ discussions in Tuvalu and Fiji.
“We must ensure that COP31 is not another session of procedural discussion and decision-making and fight over agendas.
“We must stand ready to make firm commitments to take action now,.” Talia said.
Talia said the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, meaning “Strength and Unity”, brought Pacific and partner countries together around shared concerns and a call for stronger climate action.
The declaration was endorsed following the leaders’ visit to Tuvalu and reflects the experience of communities on the front lines of climate change.
“Grounded in their experience in Tuvalu, the declaration brings our voices together in unity, resilience and power as a call to action to address our shared challenges, protect our cultures and build our shared future,” Talia said.
He said the declaration reaffirmed the importance of climate science, including the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in guiding decisions under the UN climate process.
Talia invited other countries to associate themselves with the declaration ahead of COP31.
“Join with us to advance global climate action and implementation to secure a better future for generations to come,” he said.
The declaration also recognises the role of youth, Indigenous peoples and local communities in climate decision-making and action, as well as the interests of future generations.
Talia said it highlighted the accelerating threats from ocean warming, ocean acidification and sea-level rise, including the impacts of melting glaciers and ice sheets.
He said the declaration represented a continued commitment to climate action and called on the international community to stand with countries facing the greatest climate risks.
“Overall, the declaration represents unwavering commitment to continue to act on climate change and to call on the world to unite behind those on the front lines of the climate crisis,” Talia said.
Talia thanked Australia and Fiji for working with Tuvalu to deliver the Pre-COP31 programme and the leaders’ visit to Tuvalu.
He also thanked the countries involved in drafting and supporting the Taku Pakasoa Declaration and those that had signed onto it.
Looking ahead to COP31, Talia wished Türkiye and Australia success in bringing countries together for the climate conference.
He said the Pacific could not afford another round of climate negotiations that failed to produce concrete action.
“Vulnerable countries like Tuvalu and Fiji and other Pacific countries and those who are most vulnerable to the issue of climate change have much to lose from inaction,” Talia said.
He called for accelerated action to keep the goals of the Paris Agreement within reach.
The Pacific Pre-COP31 concluded in Fiji after leaders spent a day and a half in Tuvalu examining the impacts of climate change and visiting adaptation projects before continuing their discussions in Denarau….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Pacific Pre-COP puts small Island states at centre of COP31: Bowen
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)– Australia says the Pacific Pre-COP31 has provided a strong starting point for COP31 in Türkiye, with small island developing states’ priorities pushed higher on the climate agenda.
Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said the two-day meeting had allowed ministers to put forward ideas and proposals aimed at securing stronger outcomes at COP31.
“That has been an extraordinarily useful process,” Bowen said at the closing ceremony of Fiji’s hosting of the Pre-COP31.
He said Australia and Türkiye had deliberately designed the Pre-COP to provide the best possible launching pad for the climate summit in Antalya.
“I think, thanks to you and your contributions, we’ve been able to do that,” Bowen said.
Bowen said Australia also wanted to raise the issues facing small island developing states, particularly those in the Pacific, and give them greater prominence at COP31.
“We also wanted to lift the issues that small island developing states, best represented here in the Pacific, have been pursuing at COPs for many years, to lift those issues on the agenda and get them more prominence at COP,” he said.
He said the visit to Tuvalu, alongside a stakeholder programme involving more than 3,000 people and more than 100 events, had helped put the concerns of vulnerable island communities at the centre of the discussions.
Bowen said Pacific island states had contributed little to the climate crisis but were already facing its consequences.
“We think of those who’ve done so little to cause this crisis and we live with it so much every day, not in the future, today,” he said.
He highlighted rising sea levels, changes to fisheries and coastal erosion, as well as communities losing homes and even ancestral burial grounds.
“We’ve heard many stories, graveyards being washed away, houses being inundated much more regularly and people, young people with dreams, who are being questioned whether they can pursue their dreams in their country of their birth,” Bowen said.
He said COP31 would take place against a difficult global backdrop, including growing evidence that the world was overshooting the 1.5°C temperature goal, energy market uncertainty and the expected impacts of a strong El Niño.
“We will meet in Antalya in just a couple of weeks’ time in the context of a report showing us we need to do more because we are overshooting 1.5 degrees,” Bowen said.
He said the expected El Niño conditions would add pressure to countries already facing climate impacts.
“We know the impacts will be severe and they will amplify climate change and they will be a result of climate change,” he said.
Bowen also outlined how Australia and Türkiye planned to manage COP31, saying the presidency would operate openly and transparently.
“We don’t want any surprises in Antalya. We want you to know what we’re planning and thinking,” he said.
He said the presidency intended to pursue a presidency-led decision, while maintaining full consultation with parties.
“Presidency led, not presidency only, full consultation with parties,” Bowen said.
He acknowledged that reaching agreement at COP31 would not be easy, with disagreements expected among countries.
“There’ll be strong discussions. There’ll be many, many meetings in Antalya. There’ll be disagreements but they’ll be handled in a spirit of cooperation, good faith and goodwill,” he said.
Bowen said the negotiations ultimately had to deliver for people already experiencing climate impacts and for future generations.
“The people we’re working for, the people at home who are being impacted by climate change … and future generations who will be impacted even more by climate change unless we deal with mitigation and adaptation,” he said.
He said the Pacific Pre-COP had achieved its objective of preparing countries for COP31 and bringing the priorities of small island developing states to the forefront.
“This has been a pre-COP which has achieved the objective of giving us a launching pad for COP31, the best chance of a strong outcome of putting at the forefront the issues of small island developing states,” Bowen said.
He thanked Türkiye, Fiji and Tuvalu for their cooperation and hosting of the Pre-COP process and urged countries to carry the same spirit into Antalya.
“We will need it in Antalya,” he said.
Bowen said countries must leave COP31 able to demonstrate that they had strengthened multilateralism and taken meaningful action.
“So that we can walk away from COP31 and say we did what we were required to do, we made a step forward, we supported multilateralism and we acted in the best interests of the people we work for every day,” he said….PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Pacific needs climate action, not more promises: Tabuya
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2206 (PACNEWS)—Fiji has called on countries heading to COP31 in Türkiye to turn climate commitments into action, warning that Pacific communities cannot respond to worsening climate impacts with promises and speeches.
Fiji Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya delivered the message at the closing ceremony of the Pacific Pre-COP31 in Nadi, saying the meeting had clarified where progress was possible but also where political courage was still needed.
“Our communities cannot adapt with promises, and they cannot rebuild from cyclones with speeches.
“From conversation, we move to decision. From commitment, we move to delivery,” Tabuya said.
Tabuya said the Pre-COP had brought Pacific priorities closer to the communities experiencing the impacts of climate change and had placed frontline voices at the centre of discussions.
She said more than 3,000 people had participated in the Pre-COP programme, compared with about 300 delegates at Fiji’s previous Pre-COP linked to its COP23 presidency nine years ago.
“This week we brought the world back here and this time through an innovative partnership and with the voices of the frontline at the centre of the conversation,” she said.
The meeting began with leaders visiting Tuvalu, where they observed climate impacts and the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project.
Tabuya said the *Taku Pakasoa Declaration, meaning “Strength and Unity”, provided a clear message for countries heading to COP31.
“They remind us that our greatest strength is in unity,” she said.
She said ministers had since worked on the ocean-climate nexus, the need to limit the overshoot of the 1.5°C temperature goal and the action required to protect vulnerable countries.
“We leave Nadi with a clearer picture of where landing zones are emerging as well as where political courage is still required,” Tabuya said.
But she warned that the Pre-COP itself could not deliver the decisions Pacific countries were seeking.
“I must not mistake progress here for completion,” she said.
“Pre-COP does not adopt decisions. Its true value will be measured by what happens next.”
Tabuya said the test would be whether discussions in Fiji influenced decisions at COP31, whether new national climate plans helped close the gap towards the 1.5°C goal and whether climate finance reached communities faster and at the scale required.
“Whether climate finance reaches our communities effectively, faster, and at the scale required,” she said, would be among the measures of success.
She said Pacific communities had little room for delay.
“For the Pacific, this has never been simply about negotiating text and processes. It is about a right to a secure and dignified future,” Tabuya said.
Tabuya also stressed the importance of science and traditional knowledge in guiding climate action.
She said Pacific countries had relied on climate science as evidence for action while traditional knowledge had provided additional experience built over generations.
The minister said the Pacific would take the same determination to Antalya that had driven decades of climate diplomacy.
“COP31 in Antalya is now just weeks away. We go with greater understanding, with relationships and friendships strengthened, knowing where the heart is,” she said.
She thanked the governments of Australia, Tuvalu and Türkiye, the UNFCCC Secretariat, Pacific organisations, civil society, Indigenous peoples, women, young people, faith communities, the private sector, academia and the many officials and support workers involved in hosting the meeting.
Tabuya also acknowledged Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and the people and traditional leaders of Nadi for hosting the event.
She asked delegates to carry the experiences of the Pacific with them to COP31.
“Remember the people you met, the stories you heard, and why we gathered.
“This COP draws to a close tonight. Our responsibility does not.”
“From Fiji, we go to Antalya,” she said.
Tabuya also bid farewell to delegates in the Fijian way.
“In Fiji, we do not say goodbye. We say Sota tale. God be with you till we meet again.”…PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Turkey says Pacific Pre-cop built momentum for COP31
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Türkiye says the Pacific Pre-COP31 has built important momentum for COP31, with the incoming presidency promising to carry the spirit of dialogue and action from Fiji to the climate summit in Antalya.
COP31 CEO Fatma Varank, who is also Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, said the discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu had been productive and would help shape the next phase of negotiations.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of Fiji’s hosting of the Pre-COP31, Varank thanked the governments and people of Fiji and Tuvalu for hosting the leaders and delegations and acknowledged the work of the negotiations team.
She said COP31 would be an important conference in terms of both its governance and the decisions expected to be adopted.
“COP31 will be a landmark conference, both in terms of its governance and the decisions it will adopt,” Varank said.
She said the incoming presidency would continue working to bring countries together around dialogue, consensus and action.
“As the COP31 Presidency and host, we will keep working to bring you together in dialogue, consensus and action,” she said.
Varank said the Pre-COP had created momentum that Türkiye wanted to maintain through to the conference in Antalya.
“There is no doubt that we have built truly important momentum here,” she said.
“We look forward to welcoming you in Antalya without losing sight of our work and without losing the spirit of moving forward together.”
Varank said Türkiye would host delegates in Antalya in three weeks as countries move towards the formal COP31 negotiations.
She expressed hope that COP31 would deliver significant decisions and produce concrete results through implementation.
“Hopefully, COP31 will deliver results and hopefully significant decisions will be made,” she said.
“And hopefully the results of the implementation of COP will yield great results for our common home, Earth.”
Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said the President-designate had found the Pre-COP discussions productive and useful.
“I think I can say with certainty that the President-designate of COP31 found the Pre-COP to be very productive, extremely helpful and useful,” Bowen said.
Varank thanked Bowen and other ministers, officials and participants for their contributions to the Pacific dialogue.
The closing ceremony marked the end of Fiji’s hosting of the Pacific Pre-COP31, which included a leaders’ visit to Tuvalu before discussions continued in Denarau.
The meeting has focused on climate finance, adaptation, resilience, implementation and the priorities of Pacific island countries ahead of COP31 in Türkiye….PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31: SPREP PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
With the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, Pacific countries look to turn political momentum to delivery at COP31
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)—As the curtains fall on pre-COP31 and Fiji celebrates the successful hosting of more than 3,000 delegates, the attention immediately turns to Türkiye, and the need to defend the integrity of the science from the IPCC on the 1.5⁰C temperature goal.
“We will not take a step backwards because we still believe that a more just world is possible,” promised the President of COP31,Murat Kurum.
“We will see you in Antalya from 9th to 20th of November where we will welcome the whole world. Hopefully, we will succeed together, and the voice of the Pacific will be heard strongly in Antalya.”
From 05-08 October, Fiji, Tuvalu, Australia and the UNFCCC partnered to deliver the official COP31 pre-COP ministerial meeting and Leaders’ event.
Leaders, ministers, senior representatives and officials from all over the world converged in Fiji, with some visiting Tuvalu on Tuesday, where they got to see first-hand the lived reality of climate change impacts.
The Taku Pakasoa Declaration, establishing a firm political mandate to amplify Pacific voices and priorities at COP31 in Antalya, was officially endorsed, and hailed as one of the key accomplishments in Nadi.
“I’m proud of what we have all achieved this week,” said Fiji Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change, Lynda Tabuya.
“First, the endorsement of the Taku Pakasoa Declaration by 30 regions, which will mobilise protection for the 1.5 degrees threshold. Second, integrating the ocean agenda into the United Nations framework, claiming its rightful place in our climate agenda. Third, the commitment of real capital; money to fund the change the Pacific needs.”
The Taku Pakasoa Declaration calls on leaders to mobilise the protection for the 1.5 degrees threshold, secure direct, accessible, and grant-based climate finance, protect island states facing existential threats from rising sea levels and bridge the ongoing discrepancy between international climate pledges and real-world execution.
Minister Tabuya said ensuring the Pacific priorities are taken to Antalya was top of the agenda this week.
“Fiji should be proud as a nation for hosting such a big event. This would not have been possible without the leadership and the partnership of our COP31 President, Honorable Murat and of course Australian leadership as well in partnership, Bowen, to bring pre-COP to the Pacific,” she said.
“But our work is not done. We have set the stage to COP31, and now we look ahead to Turkiye, where we must achieve the following outcomes – keeping 1.5 degrees within reach and get climate finance into the hands of the people who really need it. And of course, putting the ocean in its rightful place in the climate agenda.”
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, and President of Negotiations for COP31, Hon. Chris Bowen, said when the partnership between Australia and Türkiye to deliver COP31 was established, they agreed immediately that pre-COP was to be used to provide the best possible launching pad for COP31, especially to give a voice to countries on the front line of climate change impacts.
Minister Bowen hailed the endorsement of the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, which he said arose out of the visit to Tuvalu.
“It sees a strength found in collective unity and action,” said Bowen.
“It reaffirms the importance of science, and reaffirms the efforts to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency and transition away from fossil fuels. All encapsulated in that important document, which gives us a good launching pad.
“Also, access to finance. The countries that need the finance the most get it the least, small island developing states. That has got to change. It’s a key priority of COP31.”
The closing of the pre-COP at the Sheraton Resort in Denarau ended two important weeks for Pacific climate change officials and negotiators, as they prepare for COP3.
The Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS) COP31 Preparatory Meeting was held from 30 September 02 October in Nadi.
Facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and funded by the Government of Australia, the meeting focussed on the priority thematic areas for negotiations, and allowed for discussion on strategic directions and agreed regional positions ahead of COP31….PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Australia, Türkiye to take forward presidency-led decision at COP31
By Sanjeshni Kumar
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Australia and Türkiye will take forward a presidency-led decision at COP31 aimed at strengthening climate action and keeping the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature goal within reach.
Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister and COP31 President of Negotiations Chris Bowen announced at the Pre-COP ministerial briefing in Nadi, saying the approach gives the summit the best chance of reaching an ambitious outcome.
“We feel that a presidency-led decision gives us the best chance of a strong ambitious outcome at COP 31,” Bowen said.
The decision will be developed in the weeks leading up to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, with Bowen saying Australia and Türkiye had discussed the options before agreeing on the approach.
He said the decision was being announced at Pre-COP so countries would have advance notice rather than being presented with it when they arrive in Antalya.
“We didn’t want to surprise people in Antalya with a presidency-led decision. We decided to announce it here, so there’s no surprises,” he said.
Bowen said the decision would seek to “send a signal, to follow the science, to keep 1.5 degrees within reach” and accelerate delivery of climate action.
He acknowledged the scientific evidence pointing to an overshoot of the 1.5°C threshold, but said countries needed to limit how far and for how long temperatures exceed it.
“We’ve got to overshoot it for as little and as short as possible and to accelerate delivery,” he said.
A major focus of the Pre-COP has been elevating the voice of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), particularly Pacific countries.
Bowen said this was an objective Australia and Türkiye had agreed on when planning their partnership to deliver COP31.
“We agreed immediately that we should use pre-COP to give us the best possible launching pad for COP31 and to use it as an opportunity to give a voice to those who struggled to be heard at COPs for many years, small island developing states best represented here by the Pacific,” he said.
The Taku Pakasoa Declaration, which followed a visit to Tuvalu by international leaders and climate officials, was highlighted by Bowen as another key outcome of the Pre-COP.
He said the declaration demonstrated the strength of collective action and reaffirmed the importance of climate science, tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Climate finance is also expected to remain a key issue at COP31, with Bowen saying SIDS were among those most in need of finance but often received the least.
“The countries that need to finance the most get it the least, that’s got to change,” he said.
Bowen said Australia would launch an access-to-finance plan aimed at securing commitments from development banks and countries to improve access to finance for SIDS, including in the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian Ocean.
He also highlighted the Pacific Resilience Fund and said the Pacific’s priorities had been given greater attention through the Pre-COP process.
Other initiatives being advanced ahead of COP31 include an electrification pledge and a Global Rooftop Solar Pledge, with Australia working with other countries to expand rooftop solar.
Bowen said Australia, which has rooftop solar on about 35 percent of its houses, would work with other countries to increase its uptake globally.
Australia and Türkiye will now work in the coming weeks to develop the presidency-led decision ahead of COP31 in Antalya.
Bowen said the process would remain “open, transparent, and inclusive and predictable” as the two countries work towards an ambitious outcome…..PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
UN climate chief urges COP31 to turn climate promises into action
By Sanjeshni Kumar
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The UN’s top climate official says COP31 must focus on turning climate commitments into real-world results as countries face mounting economic costs from climate change.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell made the call in Nadi ahead of the UN climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, which begins in four weeks.
Stiell said the impacts of climate change were already being felt across economies, with El Niño adding further pressure.
“Every nation is now on the front lines of the climate crisis. Every economy is already getting hammered, and now El Nino is up the ante and supercharging these climate costs,” he said.
He said small island states had much at stake, while pointing to the Pacific’s response to the climate crisis as an example of the cooperation and practical solutions needed.
“Throughout the week, this region has shown again how to meet danger with determination, innovation, cooperation, and practical solutions,” Stiell said.
He said COP31 should build on that approach by accelerating implementation and turning existing commitments into tangible results.
“This is what COP31 can and must do, help convert promises into more real-world results,” he said.
Climate finance will be a key part of that effort, with Stiell calling for countries to scale up and speed up finance while broadening access to affordable funding.
He said countries must deliver on existing finance commitments, including the new finance goal, while using the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap to build towards US$1.3 trillion a year by 2035.
Stiell also called for the COP process to be brought closer to the real economy, with governments, businesses, investors, cities and communities working together on projects and partnerships that can attract finance and deliver results.
He said negotiations would remain central to the COP process, particularly as countries move towards the second Global Stocktake at COP33.
While there may not be a single major headline agreement on the agenda at COP31, Stiell said there were still “complex and vital issues” that countries would need to resolve.
“That is incredibly hard when every country must agree on every single word,” he said.
Stiell said the pre-COP meetings in Fiji had shown both the progress made and the amount of work still required before the Antalya summit.
The action agenda will also be important, he said, with practical work needed in areas including electrification, methane reduction, waste and ocean protection.
Stiell said no single COP could solve the global climate crisis, but COP31 needed to accelerate progress on practical measures.
“All recent COPs have moved the world a significant step forward, and so must COP31.
“With just four weeks till COP starts in Antalya, there is no time to lose,” he said….PACNEWS
PAC – ENERGY TRANSITION: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Pacific energy transition needs bigger, faster financing Climate change
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Pacific Island countries need larger, faster and more accessible financing to turn ambitious renewable energy targets into bankable projects according to Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau.
Speaking at the Ministerial Dialogue: Unlocking Energy Transition Investments and Finance in Pacific SIDS during the Pre-COP31 programme yesterday, Ro Filipe said implementation was the region’s biggest challenge.
“For Fiji, energy transition is central to both our climate ambitions and our development objectives,” he said.
Fiji’s NDC 3.0 targets a 36 per cent reduction in energy-sector emissions below business-as-usual levels by 2035, while the Government is pursuing close to 100 per cent renewable grid-connected electricity by the same year.
The transition also covers road transport, domestic maritime transport and aviation.
Ro Filipe said Fiji’s National Energy Policy 2023-2030 provides the framework for expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and access, strengthening energy security and advancing low carbon transport.
He said Fiji had secured a US$1.2 million (FJD$2.7m) World Bank project preparation grant for the Fiji Energy Transformation Project.
The project will support screening and pre-feasibility assessments for selected solar sites, assess upgrades to ageing hydropower assets and strengthen legislation to encourage greater private-sector participation in electricity.
Ro Filipe said strong project preparation, enabling regulations and affordable financing were critical to moving projects from concept to implementation.
“Across the Pacific region, Pacific small island developing states possess considerable renewable energy resources, clear national plans and ambitious climate and energy targets,” he said.
“The challenge, therefore, is not a lack of ambition but closing the gap between ambition and implementation.”
He identified limited project preparation capacity, high transaction costs, infrastructure constraints and difficulties accessing affordable, long-term finance as key barriers.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Secretary Mike Kaiser said financing and investment would be central to closing that gap.
A AUD$7.29 million (FJD$11.42m) Pacific Renewable Energy Transition and Readiness package under the Australia-Pacific Partnership for Energy Transition.
The initiative will support a network of Pacific engineers and energy modellers to develop investment ready renewable energy pathways.
Kaiser also announced the launch of a Climate Finance Access Plan aimed at simplifying financing procedures, scaling concept-stage funding and encouraging private investment.
He said successful energy investments must also strengthen data, modelling, planning, institutions and local skills.
“Without adequate financing and investment, the energy transition will not be possible,” Mr Kaiser said.
He said Pacific countries must strengthen regional cooperation by combining demand, reducing costs and creating larger investment opportunities.
He said financing must be “accessible, affordable, fit for purpose, responsive and timely”.
“This is the moment for action,” Kaiser said.
“The technology is available, the ambition is clear, and the financing is achievable. Now, we must rise to the occasion.”…PACNEWS
FIJI – POLICE CHARGED: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Fri 09 Oct 2026
Three police officers charged with constable Racagi’s murder
SUVA, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —-Three Fiji police officers have been jointly charged with murder following the death of fellow officer Constable Peniasi Racagi after an alleged altercation in February this year.
The accused, Simione Rokosemudu, Iowane Sukanaisoro and Ilisoni Waqa, are expected to appear in court today.
The charges were sanctioned by the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions following a legal review by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The three officers are accused of murdering Constable Racagi, who was attached to the Lami Police Station.
They have been jointly charged with murder under Section 237 of the Crimes Act 2009.
The ODPP said the decision to sanction the charges followed a thorough legal analysis conducted in accordance with its standard procedures.
Meanwhile, the individual, who has been in police custody since Friday in relation to the missing cocaine, was a former security officer at Government Buildings in Suva at the alleged time the drugs were stolen.
He is also the husband of one of the main suspects, a former senior judicial officer who is believed to have left the country.
The 51-year-old has been charged with interfering with evidence and unlawful possession of illicit drugs. He will appear in court today.
He is also believed to have been employed as the driver of a senior legal practitioner who heads an independent government statutory body.
The missing cocaine, valued at more than $50 million(US$25 million), belonged to Australian John Nikolic and Canadian Joshua Rahman, both of whom are imprisoned in Fiji.
Nikolic was sentenced in 2019 and Rahman in 2021. Since their sentencing, the drugs seized from the two men have been kept in the Suva Court exhibit room. The former senior judicial officer oversaw the exhibit room.
On Wednesday, Police took Chief Registrar Tomasi Bainivalu in to give a statement on the missing cocaine.
The Chief Registrar is responsible for the administration and operation of the courts….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – PREPCOP31: SPREP PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 09 Oct 2026
PNG calls for shift from climate finance policies to investment and implementation
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)— It is time to move from climate finance policies and frameworks to investment, implementation to ensure measurable benefits for Pacific communities.
The call comes from Papua New Guinea (PNG) during a side event on the margins of pre-COP31 in Nadi, Fiji on Thursday, where climate finance has become a key point of discussion in the plenary hall and at several climate finance events.
“Access to climate finance must be fairer, simpler and faster,” Kaupa said.
“Finance must support adaptation and resilience, respond to loss and damage, and reach communities on the front line of climate impacts. For Papua New Guinea, improved access must be matched by stronger readiness.”
Speaking during the Mobilising Climate Finance in PNG: Public Sector Leadership, Private Sector Participation and Regional Lessons side event John Kaupa, Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, urged world leaders, development partners, climate funds, financial institutions and the private sector to convert priorities into investable action.
“This requires coordinated public-sector leadership, financial-sector reform, private-sector participation and strong regional and international partnerships. Government must provide clear priorities and effective institutions,” he said.
“Financial institutions and investors must help develop appropriate instruments and reduce barriers to investment. Communities must see real benefits from the finance mobilised in their name.”
PNG has made important progress in establishing the policy, institutional and financial foundations needed to mobilise climate finance. But to move up the implementation chain, PNG has shifted attention on development of climate finance project pipelines.
The side event provided a platform for Government agencies, the Bank of Papua New Guinea, the private sector, regional organisations and development partners to discuss the next phase of climate finance implementation.
“The Taku Pakasoa Declaration gives this discussion an important regional direction. It calls for a substantial increase in climate finance and reform of the international financial architecture so that finance is delivered at the speed and scale required,” added Minister Kaupa.
“It also emphasises grant-based and concessional finance for climate-vulnerable countries, particularly Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. Papua New Guinea supports this call.”
For the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), its role as an accredited entity to the Adaptation Fund, Green Climate Fund and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage enables it to support the aspirations of countries like PNG.
SPREP is also working towards accreditation as an Implementation Agency to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) while continuing its function as an Executing Entity, and co-develops programmes and projects with countries, through its Programmes and Project Coordination Unit (PCU), to access climate finance.
SPREP Director General, Sefanaia Nawadra, said it’s important that when the Pacific talks about climate finance, it should not be mobilised as debt, and it should not be confused as development financing.
“Climate financing is an obligation, and we need to ensure that this message is very clear,” he said.
“The other important point is that whether its climate financing or development financing, we should be treating it as an investment. It is something that we don’t only have to build, we should maintain it at all times, and something that we benefit from throughout its lifetime.”
Nawadra also called for reforms of the international climate-finance architecture, including complex access requirements, slow approval and disbursement, and insufficient grant-based and concessional finance for SIDS and LDCs.
“COP31 should advance finance at the speed and scale required, alongside stronger support for Pacific-led mechanisms such as the Pacific Resilience Facility. SPREP stands ready to work with and support our Member countries.”
Organised by the PNG Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), other speakers included Debra Sungi, Acting Managing Director, Climate Change and Development Authority, Michael Kumung, Deputy Secretary, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, George Awap, Assistant Governor, Bank of Papua New Guinea,Gibson Holemba, Secretary, Department of Works and Highways,Ronald Meketa, Managing Director, National Energy Authority and Carmella Gabina, Director, Business Council of Papua New Guinea….PACNEWS
PAC – FISHERIES: PACNEWS/NOAA PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 09 Oct 2026
U.S secures Pacific bluefin tuna gains, pushes fisheries research and electronic monitoring
LISBON, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS/NOAA) —The United States has secured increased Pacific bluefin tuna harvest opportunities for its West Coast fisheries and advanced new measures on electronic monitoring, dorado, billfish and shark conservation at an international fisheries meeting.
The outcomes were reached at the September 2026 annual meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in Lisbon, Portugal, where 21 member nations negotiated measures covering tuna, billfish, sharks, seabirds and other highly migratory species.
The U.S delegation said the agreements support efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of American seafood producers while maintaining sustainable fisheries management.
A key outcome was the adoption of new Pacific bluefin tuna allocations that increase fishing opportunities for the U.S West Coast while maintaining stock rebuilding targets.
The Commission also adopted its first management procedure for Pacific bluefin tuna, described by the U.S delegation as a major step towards more responsive and sustainable long-term management of the stock.
The United States also advanced proposals to allow electronic monitoring data to be submitted to the Commission, supporting greater use of technology in fisheries monitoring and enforcement.
On dorado, members agreed on a long-term research plan aimed at improving stock assessments and management.
The Commission also agreed to hold an international workshop on South Pacific swordfish to strengthen data collection, including information on emerging fishing methods such as ring gear and traplines.
A separate billfish workshop will be convened to develop a work plan for improved data collection and stock assessments.
The U.S delegation also secured the continuation of existing “fins naturally attached” measures aimed at preventing shark finning.
The measures were due to expire at the end of 2026 but will now remain in place, while members also agreed to develop a shark research plan to improve data collection and stock assessments.
On South Pacific albacore, Commission staff were tasked with developing a research work plan covering expected results, timelines and data requirements to support more timely management decisions.
Members also advanced plans for a joint working group with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to improve regional cooperation on South Pacific albacore management.
The United States said the joint work could help develop compatible management measures, improve understanding of the stock and contribute to a Pacific-wide benchmark stock assessment.
Members were also encouraged to participate in the Ocean Fish Aggregating Device Recovery Alliance, which supports efforts to track, retrieve and remove fish aggregating devices that can affect vulnerable marine habitats.
The U.S purse seine sector has helped lead the initiative with fishing groups from several countries.
However, negotiations on tropical tuna management failed to reach consensus.
The Commission had adopted a three-year tropical tuna measure in 2025, maintaining existing measures while reducing purse seine closures.
This year, including the United States, members tabled proposals to modernise tropical tuna management, including a proposed management process that would have reduced closure days based on the healthy status of the stocks.
Several members also pushed for increased purse seine capacity, a move opposed by the United States because of its potential impact on U.S fleets and markets.
With no agreement reached, the existing tropical tuna measure will remain in force.
The U.S delegation said the outcomes advance its priorities of improving fishing opportunities, maintaining sustainable fisheries and modernising international fisheries governance…. PACNEWS
SAMOA – AIRPORT: SAMOA NEWSHUB PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 09 Oct 2026
After 26 years, Maota Airport reopens in Savai’i
APIA, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (SAMOA NEWSHUB) —After 26 years without regular air services, Maota Airport in Samoa has officially reopened, restoring an important air connection between Upolu and Savai’i and opening new opportunities for tourism, business, transportation and emergency medical access.
The reopening follows the discontinuation of regular flight services in 2000, bringing air connectivity back to Savai’i after more than a quarter of a century.
Speaking at the official opening, Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt reflected personally on what the absence of the service had meant for the island.
Speaking as a Savaiian himself, the Prime Minister said he understood the impact the loss of regular flights had had on the people of Savai’i.
‘As a Savaiian, we felt the impact of not having a flight service that was discontinued in 2000.”
The Prime Minister said restoring air services was about creating greater opportunities for Savai’i and ensuring the island benefited from infrastructure and services available elsewhere in Samoa.
“We need to level the playing field, as the saying goes. What’s good for Upolu is good for Savai’i.”
Samoa Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer Faaofonuu Tumanuvao Evile Falefatu described the reopening of Maota Airport as “a new start for Savai’i.”
The message was echoed in the Prime Minister’s address, which placed particular emphasis on improving tourism, communications and transportation as part of Savai’i’s future development.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that Savai’i requires further infrastructure upgrades and said improved connectivity would be important in creating new opportunities for its people and economy.
Maota now provides another convenient transport option between Samoa’s two main islands, complementing the existing inter-island ferry services.
For travellers, businesses and visitors, the restored air service also provides Savai’i with another gateway for tourism, trade and economic activity, connecting the island more directly with Fagali’i and Faleolo.
The Prime Minister used the reopening to encourage tourism operators and investors to establish and expand their operations in Savai’i, pointing to the opportunities created by improved access to the island.
With air services restored, visitors now have another convenient way of travelling to Savai’i in addition to the ferry.
Flights connecting Maota with Fagali’i and Faleolo also provide another pathway for tourists and business travellers arriving in Upolu to continue their journey to Savai’i.
The improved connection is expected to support not only accommodation and tourism operators, but other businesses that benefit from the movement of visitors, people and commerce between the islands.
The Prime Minister said improvements to tourism, communications and transportation represented an important new beginning for Savai’i.
The Prime Minister also made clear that the Government’s aviation plans for Savai’i extend beyond Maota.
‘”Maota is the first step. Asau is next.”
He spoke of plans for Asau Airport and the ambition to restore an international aviation facility in Savai’i that could provide an alternative to Faleolo International Airport.
The comments position the reopening of Maota as the first stage of a broader push to strengthen aviation infrastructure and connectivity for Savai’i.
An international airport at Asau could potentially provide another gateway for tourism and economic activity on the island, although further details on the proposed development are expected as planning progresses.
The importance of Maota Airport extends beyond tourism and business.
The Prime Minister highlighted the potential role of the airport in medical evacuations, particularly for critically ill patients who need to be transferred urgently from Savai’i to Upolu for medical treatment.
The availability of air transportation could substantially reduce the time required to get a patient to the appropriate medical facilities.
The Prime Minister said that for medical evacuations to Upolu, the restored air connection could save precious time and potentially save the life of a person in dire need of urgent medical care.
For families facing a medical emergency, the availability of another transportation option could therefore prove particularly significant when every minute counts.
The reopening comes ahead of White Sunday, traditionally one of the busiest periods of domestic travel in Samoa as families travel home to celebrate Lotu Tamaiti.
Regular Samoa Airways passenger services to Maota are scheduled to begin from Friday, 9 October, providing connections between Savai’i and both Fagali’i and Faleolo.
Published arrangements include morning and afternoon services between Fagali’i and Maota from Monday to Saturday, while Sunday services connect Maota with Faleolo.
The airline has announced fares of SAT$120US$43) one way and SAT$240(U$286) return, with the scheduled flight between Fagali’i and Maota taking approximately 20 minutes.
The service provides travellers with a faster alternative between the two islands while complementing Samoa’s established inter-island ferry network.
The official programme at Maota culminates with the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the arrival of the first aircraft as regular air services return following their discontinuation 26 years ago.
The landing carries particular significance for Savai’i.
For the first time in more than a quarter of a century, the people of the island will once again have regular air connectivity with Upolu — an important addition to Samoa’s domestic transportation network.
For the Samoa Airport Authority, it represents “a new start for Savai’i.”
For the Prime Minister, Maota represents only the beginning of a wider vision for improving Savai’i’s transportation, tourism, communications and economic infrastructure.
And speaking as a Savaiian himself, his message at Maota was simple: “What’s good for Upolu is good for Savai’i.,” he said…PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Strengthening Pacific voices in the science shaping global climate action
APIA, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)— The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports on Climate Change are the best available science and evidence base for negotiations and policy under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In each assessment cycle, hundreds of the world’s best climate scientists synthesise and determine the world’s scientific view on climate change. For a region standing at the forefront of the climate crisis, it is imperative to strengthen the engagement of the Pacific scientific community in global climate science processes, ensuring Pacific experiences are properly reflected in the global understanding of climate change.
This was at the heart of a side event, held 7 October 2026 at the Vale ni Vanua Knowledge Exchange Pre-COP31 Stakeholder Program in Nadi, Fiji and organised by the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
“Small Island Developing States face some of the greatest impacts of climate change yet contribute the least. And it is our stories and narratives that need to be captured in the science and eventual policy that will help us become more resilient to its effects”, saidTagaloa Cooper, Director of the Climate Change Resilience Programme at SPREP, in her opening remarks.
IPCC
This was echoed by Pacific COP31 Envoy focusing on keeping the 1.5°C temperature goal within reach, Kristina Stege.
“The findings from the recent report confirm that overshoot is inevitable, and it really brings home the implications for our region. And while those impacts are daunting and grim, it must be the basis of our fight to go out onto the world stage and make sure that we come back from overshoot. That is the only response we must take.”
“In the Pacific, we have capable and growing scientific institutions, and regional expertise that is on display in this panel, that demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge that we can bring to the table in addressing the greatest challenge of our time”, said Stege.
The panel comprised of Dr Vili Iese, University of Melbourne, Dr Sinda Sharma, Pacific Island Climate Action Network (PICAN), Kelcey Gray, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Government of Australia and Dr Sala George Carter, The Australian National University (ANU), and moderated by Vensel Margraff, IPCC Regional Coordinator for the Pacific at PCCC SPREP.
Panellists spoke to strengthening Pacific priorities reflected in the IPCC assessment reports, Pacific youth leadership and roles of researchers and research institutions in ensuring meaningful contributions to global climate science.
Dr Sindra Sharma, Policy Lead at PICAN and coordinating Lead Author for the Small Islands Chapter of the IPCC Assessment Report (AR7) spoke to the leadership of Pacific youth in the scientific community.
“It is inspiring to see how much work our young scientists are doing, and how they are bridging the diverse systems of knowledge that shape the voice of the Pacific in this global process. A process that continues to evolve, driven by the Pacific and the ambition of our youth, who have already bought immense changes to the world we navigate, from leading the fight for the ICJ Advisory Opinion to advancing science and evidence.”
Dr Vili Iese, Senior Lecturer at University of Melbourne shared about his journey to becoming a Lead Author for AR7, Working Group 2 and opportunities for the Pacific to get involved in the IPCC process.
“There are write shops and several other opportunities that allow us to come together to put our science into these knowledge systems and scientific papers, because the IPCC is an assessment that looks into these peer reviewed papers.”
Dr Iese also encouraged young Pacific academics to get involved in write shops and opportunities to strengthen their engagement in the IPCC process.
Dr Sala George Carter, Head of the Department of Pacific Affairs at ANU shared about the role of academia in making the IPCC process accessible to the public and making the connection to the politics of the UNFCCC.
“We have a special role as researchers in bringing the science to negotiators, ensuring we are able to provide the information in real time for our Pacific to participate effectively in the UNFCCC process.”
He also shared about the work undertaken by ANU and partners to make this information available to the public through the development of information sheets, a dedicated website and translation into several Pacific languages.
IPCC
Through a partnership with the Australian Government through DCCEEW, SPREP has hosted several coordination activities that have developed the capacity of Pacific scientific community to join this international science coalition.
“We are proud of the partnership we have with SPREP through PCCC that has led to enhanced engagement through the IPCC AR7, with 7 authors compared to just 2 in AR6. We see this as critical because traditional and indigenous knowledge really needs to be incorporated into the IPCC”, said Kelcey Gray.
The PCCC recently launched the Pacific Climate Change Journal at the 5th Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference in Honiara in September 2026, as a platform to unite climate science literature from our scientific community and connect it to the IPCC.
“Progress shows a positive correlation between regional level coordination and the scientific outputs of the region. SPREP, alongside its partners in the Australian Government DCCEEW and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is proud to be leading this work to empower our researchers”, said Ms Cooper.
Severe Pacific climate realities exist today, and the science will enable us to translate, package, and convey these messages to our communities, decisionmakers and leaders for a resilient Pacific future…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
“They came to give up their souls” – Pacific puts nature at the heart of climate action
NADI, 09 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)— Every year, whales arrive in the warm, sheltered lagoons of New Caledonia to give birth. Two weeks ago, in the remote waters of the Coral Sea Natural Park, they came instead to die.
“Normally, they come to give life. But two weeks ago, they came to give up their souls,” New Caledonia’s Minister for Fisheries, Ocean Affairs, the Coral Sea Natural Park, Research and Innovation, Johanito Wamytan, shared this at a PreCOP 31 side event in Fiji.
The side event – Nature at the Heart of Pacific Climate Action, highlighted the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration which was endorsed at the 11th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas (PCNC11) in Nouméa last month. The declaration commits the region to 16 collective priorities for nature and people by 2030. Bringing these commitments into the Pre-Cop31 discussions, the session reinformed the Pacific’s message that protecting nature and the ocean is essential to climate action.
Minister Wamytan described how whale song and the gaiac tree’s yellow blossoms tell the Kanak people when to plant the sacred yam. “We live through nature, and nature lives through us, it speaks to us. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for us to read nature’s messages. Its message is garbled because nature is being mistreated, abused, disturbed, and suffering.”
He called for climate finance that is “more accessible, more direct and truly adapted” to Pacific people and the reality on the ground. “The Pacific is not only asking to be heard. It is asking to be given the means to act.”
The Declaration calls for biodiversity, ocean and climate finance to be mobilised together, with international partners matching Pacific ambition with fiancé and action
SPREP Director General, Sefanaia Nawadra reminded the room that the conventions on climate (UNFCCC), biodiversity (CBD) and desertification (UNCCD) share “a common parent” in the Rio Earth Summit (1992).
“These issues were always supposed to be addressed together. They were not supposed to be addressed separately. The best adaptation or defence against climate change is a healthy natural environment and a healthy community.”
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Oceania Capacity Building Officer, Filomena Vuetaki said Pacific communities are very good practitioners and know how to mobilise their own people for conservation.
Visiting Kiwa Initiative grantees in Papua New Guinea’s Simbu Province, she found communities that had gone nearly three months without any outside help but by utilising their traditional ecological knowledge. Before the trip, she had her nails painted with frigate birds and rain umbrellas.
“Sometimes when you do this work, we also have to be intentional about what we do, even if it may seem small,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey in the environmental space, Youth Advocate and practitioner,Alisi Rabukawaqa said in climate work, the hardest conversations are on non-economic loss and damage. “How can I put a dollar value to my yavu, my totems, to the multi-faceted relationship I have with the yam, to the familial relationship I have with the whale? These intense discussions are already anticipating loss.”
“Pacific people learn by practice. If you continue to make young people sit there and watch the elders do the work, they will not learn. Invite them into the room, have them sit beside you, have them weave that mat, have them carve, have them build the house, lay the foundations and do the work together.”
Of all the rooms she had walked into this week, this was the most important, she said.
Wamytan closed with a teaching from Kanak elders. “We have two eyes, two ears, two legs and two arms, but only one mouth.”
“See more. Listen more. Move forward together. Act more. And speak only when our words lead us to action.”….PACNEWS
