A recent UN climate change report warns that for small island developing states, 'the habitability collapse has begun.' It notes that storm surges are advancing further inland, agricultural lands are salinizing, and coral reefs are disappearing.
The situation is particularly critical in the Pacific region, where residents have sometimes had to stage protests, such as holding press conferences waist-deep in water, to draw the world's attention.
However, this year's event, which the UN termed Pre-COP—usually a rather dry technical meeting preceding the main climate conference—was transformed into a special event to highlight the dire situation of the region.
The summit, held in Fiji at the beginning of this month, gathered about 4,000 participants, including national leaders, government officials, indigenous communities, and scientists. The delegation visited the Funafuti Atoll in Tuvalu to see how coastal defenses are being strengthened in response to sea-level rise and intensified storms caused by climate change.
Leaders from 14 governments, predominantly from Pacific island nations, participated, along with representatives from Australia, Timor-Leste, and Mauritius. The European Union's Climate Commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, as well as heads of the Green Climate Fund and the Asian Development Bank were present.
Media noted the absence of national leaders from countries outside the Pacific region, but Pacific leaders responded by asserting the significance of those present. The Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum and President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., stated at the event in Australia: 'I recently read that all the big names were absent, so let's talk about size. Pacific nations are custodians of nearly 20% of our Earth's surface... an area larger than Russia, China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and India combined.'
Shamini Selvaratnam, Director of International Climate and Clean Energy at the NGO Ocean Conservancy, told Dialogue Earth: 'The story of this Pre-COP, who was in the room and who wasn't, is about whose voices finally got much closer to the center of the room—these are voices we rarely hear elsewhere.'
According to her, the atmosphere was permeated with a sense of 'urgency and determination,' as attendees confronted the reality of the region needing to cope with climate change, especially sea-level rise.
Fiji and the Pacific region used Pre-COP to insist on maintaining the 1.5°C temperature threshold, reforming access to climate finance, and including ocean governance in the official UN negotiation process at the main COP31 meeting in Turkey in November.
A recent UN report warning of 'habitability collapse' suggests that global temperature rise will reach at least 1.8°C even under the most optimistic future projections. Selvaratnam emphasized that Pacific nations clearly stated in Fiji that the 1.5°C goal remains a 'survival threshold, not an abstract negotiating figure.'
A key discussion point was funding for island adaptation. In Selvaratnam's view, the focus was not only on increasing the total volume of available funds but also on directing existing finances to communities more rapidly.
Islands have their own ambitions in renewable energy but complained about the lack of predictable and accessible financing to scale up energy and maritime transport access. Leaders also pointed out that bureaucracy and other obstacles cause them to receive funds too slowly.
Whipps Jr. stated at the summit, citing Climate Home News: 'They give us a tiny piece to cover the gaping hole. The bureaucratic process to get that piece is so slow that while we wait, the water fills the hole. And then, to repair the vessel so we can survive the next storm, they offer loans, debts that weigh down the sinking ship, wrapped in such thick red ribbon that we can barely access it.'
The Pacific Islands Forum, representing 18 nations and territories, established its own fund—the Pacific Resilience Facility—which seeks investments of $500 million USD. During Pre-COP, Fiji donated $10 million to it, bringing the total amount to approximately $190 million. Additionally, the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands announced contributions of $2.3 million and $1 million, respectively.
Rufino Varea, Director of the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, noted: 'These commitments are welcome and demonstrate growing support for Pacific-led solutions, but they are far from covering the needs.'
Observers also noted progress in moving the status of ocean issues within UN climate negotiations. During Pre-COP, the 'Friends of Ocean and Climate' coalition submitted a joint letter, signed by 105 nations, to the Australian and Turkish presidencies of COP31. The letter stated that ocean issues and ocean solutions must be integrated into all aspects of the UN climate process. The document added: 'The ocean should be understood not as a separate sector or special interest, but as an integral part of achieving climate, economic, and sustainable goals.'
Selvaratnam believes that the ocean was inherent in all discussions in Fiji. 'In the Pacific region, the ocean is not just a chapter in the climate agenda—it is the climate agenda itself. Pre-COP raised these priorities.'
The main outcome of Pre-COP was the Takupaiaea Declaration—a political statement whose translation in Tuvaluan means 'strength in unity.' This document reiterated the Pacific region's priorities, including the need for financing and the central role of the ocean in solving climate problems.
Varea noted: 'Holding these discussions on our shores allowed our communities to shape the conversation on their own terms, amplifying the voices and leadership of the Pacific region at all levels—from political leaders and civil society to religious organizations, traditional leaders, and grassroots communities.'
He added that there was a genuine collective spirit based on the understanding that the region has much to contribute in response to this crisis.
He concludes that the real test will be whether the political momentum generated in Fiji translates into better negotiation outcomes in Turkey. Selvaratnam agrees: 'Visibility is valuable, but the Pacific region already had visibility. Attracting the world's attention to the Pacific region mattered, but what truly matters is whether this priority is achieved at COP31.'
