Pacific Pre-COP Concludes in Fiji with New Climate Commitments Ahead of COP31

Ministers and senior officials gathered in Fiji from 5 to 8 October for the Pacific Pre-COP summit, concluding on Thursday with new commitments on renewable energy, climate resilience, and finance ahead of next month's COP31 in Türkiye. Co-hosted by Fiji and Australia, the event brought together more than 4,000 attendees from over 100 countries and included visits by leaders to Tuvalu.

During the summit, Australia announced a $7.29 million package under the Australia-Pacific Partnership for Energy Transition (APPET) to support Pacific grid planning, workforce development, and regulatory frameworks. Australia also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vanuatu to assist with its renewable energy transition and committed $3 million to the Climate Infrastructure for Resilient Coastlines and Riverbanks (CIRCAR) project to protect infrastructure across Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Kiribati, and Tuvalu.

Several nations announced funding pledges for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a regional initiative designed to finance disaster preparedness without adding to foreign debt. Pledges included USD $10 million from Fiji, £10 million (USD $13.24 million) from the United Kingdom, USD $2.3 million from Denmark, €1 million from the Netherlands, and USD $1.1 million from the Solomon Islands, while Ireland stated an intention to increase its prior €3 million pledge.

Delegates also addressed challenges around the distribution of climate finance. While more than US$16 billion has been committed to Pacific countries since the Paris Agreement, over US$5 billion remains undisbursed. In response, an Access to Finance Statement and Action Plan was introduced to reduce procedural delays in delivering funds to local communities.

The meeting also endorsed the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, a Pacific-led statement focused on keeping global warming within 1.5°C and advancing regional leadership. Looking ahead to COP31, Australia backed Türkiye's target to raise electricity to 35 per cent of global final energy consumption by 2035 and became the initial supporter of the Global Rooftop Solar Pledge, which targets solar access for 300 million households worldwide by 2030. Additionally, Türkiye confirmed plans to pursue an Antalya Ocean Declaration at the upcoming summit.

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