The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President of Negotiations for COP31
The Hon Lynda Tabuya, Fijian Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change
The Hon Dr Maina Vakafua Talia, Tuvaluan Minister for Climate Change and the Environment
The Hon Murat Kurum, COP31 President and Türkiye's Minister for Environmnet, Urbanisation and Climate Change
- Ministers and attendees from more than 50 countries gather for Pre-COP, co-hosted by Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia.
- Pre-COP is the last major Ministerial meeting before COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
- The focus for Pre-COP is keeping 1.5°C within reach, accelerating the clean energy transition, elevating the ocean-climate nexus and unlocking finance for vulnerable countries.
Ministers and attendees from more than 50 countries will gather in Fiji from Monday to help drive climate action and accelerate the clean energy transition at the 2026 Pacific Pre-COP meeting.
Pre-COP is being co-hosted by Fiji and Australia on 5 to 8 October, while a special Leaders' event on 5 to 6 October will take place in Tuvalu, a low-lying atoll on the frontlines of climate change.
The meeting in Fiji will focus on keeping 1.5°C within reach, delivering cleaner and more secure energy, unlocking finance for vulnerable countries, safeguarding the ocean and protecting communities from worsening climate impacts.
Disasters like glacier collapse, heatwaves and tropical storms are affecting millions of people across the world, but collective action is having a global impact.
Before more than 190 countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, the world was on course for 4°C of warming, and International Energy Agency (IEA) figures showed renewables accounted for 23% of global energy generation.
The world's collective action has brought projected warming down to 2.6 degrees, and IEA figures indicate that renewables make up more than 34% of electricity generation worldwide.
And momentum is only growing - renewables are now the cheapest form of energy generation globally and the fastest to deploy. It's forecast that twice as much renewable capacity will be installed from 2025 to 2030 as was installed from 2019 to 2024.
Pre-COP will help drive more of the collective action making a worldwide impact, with a focus on delivering cleaner and more secure energy, unlocking investment and strengthening climate resilience.
Over four days of sessions and bilateral meetings, leaders and delegates will work to build climate and clean energy momentum and ensure every country can share in the jobs and economic benefits of the renewable energy transition.
Alongside the meetings, Fiji will host the Vale ni Vanua - Knowledge Exchange program, highlighting youth climate leadership, presenting the latest climate science and showcasing solutions to climate impacts, including in maternal health, the ocean and agriculture.
Quotes attributable to Fijian Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change, Lynda Tabuya:
"The Pacific's influence on global climate action has always been greater than its size.
"Pre-COP will put Pacific priorities and solutions at the centre of global discussions and help turn commitments into practical action. This includes securing greater investment in blue economy solutions to protect our oceans, which are crucial for coastal and island nations on the frontline of climate change.
"Renewable energy strengthens resilience, reduces fuel costs and supports sustainable development across our region."
Quotes attributable to Tuvaluan Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Dr Maina Vakafua Talia:
"The Leaders' event will bring global decision-makers to the frontlines of climate change and will show both the impacts we face and the practical work underway to protect our communities.
"Tuvalu is a low-lying atoll nation, just an average of two metres above sea level. The decisions we make at Pre-COP and COP31 will be felt by our communities first.
"The outcomes from the Leaders' event in Tuvalu and Pre-COP must help drive stronger ambition and action now."
Quotes attributable to President of Negotiations for COP31, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen:
"Our region is at the frontline of the climate crisis, where the effects of climate change are real and immediate.
"Hosting Pre-COP in the Pacific is bringing the focus of the world to the impacts, opportunities and priorities in our region.
"Australia will work closely with COP31 President Türkiye to secure practical outcomes that strengthen economies, improve energy security and build resilience, particularly in the Pacific."
Quotes attributable to COP31 President, Türkiye's Minister for Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum:
"We are coming to the Pacific to bear witness for how the tide is already pressing against the door.
We want to remind world leaders that promises do not hold back the sea or shield homes from the fire. Only delivery can save us.
The clock is now ticking as Pre-COP is the last major stop before the global summit in Antalya. The COP31 Presidency has an action plan ranging from electrification to zero waste, resilient cities and oceans, all supported by finance.
We will spend this week knocking heads together to get everyone on board so that the world comes to Antalya ready to deliver results."
