Pacific climate summit plans shift as Tuvalu pushes world leaders to witness frontline crisis

A major climate meeting in Tuvalu designed to put the Pacific at the centre of global climate talks could be opened to ministers instead of only presidents and prime ministers.

The move comes as Australia struggles to secure top-level attendance for the meeting, due to take place in October ahead of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) summit in Türkiye.

The meeting is expected to bring government leaders, officials, businesses and civil society groups to Fiji before a smaller gathering in Tuvalu.

Australia had pushed for only heads of government to attend the Tuvalu meeting, hoping to shine a global spotlight on one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations.

But according to media reports, diplomatic sources say several countries have been reluctant to commit with travel demands, competing international events and global uncertainty making it difficult for leaders to attend.

Australia is now considering allowing countries to send ministers or other senior political representatives instead while continuing to encourage leaders to make the trip.

Tuvalu's High Commissioner to Australia, Samuelu Laloniu, says hosting the pre-COP climate meeting will give world leaders the chance to see firsthand how Pacific communities are adapting to the impacts of climate change. Photo/New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General

But for Tuvalu, the priority is ensuring decision-makers see the impact of climate change with their own eyes.

Addressing a clean energy forum in Sydney last week, Tuvalu's High Commissioner to Australia, Samuelu Laloniu, said the gathering offered a unique opportunity for visiting leaders to understand what Pacific communities were already living through.

"We want them to see how we are coping, how we are adapting, and how we are building our resilience, how we, for example, are growing our food crops on lands that are frequently flooded with seawater," Laloniu said.

Türkiye's Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Fatih Yilmaz and Seylan Imre, pictured right, at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat last week for discussions on strengthening cooperation in support of Pacific priorities: The upcoming pre-COP meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu in October is expected to help shape negotiations ahead of the UN COP climate summit in Türkiye in October. Photo/Pacific Islands Forum

"Tuvalu has an opportunity to really showcase the need for immediate transformational changes in terms of how we adapt to the climate crisis."

The pre-COP meeting was agreed as part of Australia's partnership with Türkiye, which will host the main COP31 summit in November.

New Zealand is also expected to take part in the Fiji and Tuvalu meetings alongside other Pacific partners as regional leaders push for stronger global commitments on climate action and greater support for adaptation across the Pacific.

Australia has promoted the event as a chance to focus global attention on Pacific priorities including raising more money for the Pacific Resilience Facility, a Pacific-led fund that supports climate adaptation projects across the region.

So far, countries have pledged US$172 million (NZ$292.25 million) towards the fund, well short of its US$500m (NZ$849.57m) target by the end of the year.

Diplomatic sources have told ABC Pacific that attracting world leaders has proved harder than expected.

"It has been very difficult for them," one diplomat said.

Another senior foreign official warned Australia needed to rethink its approach. "They need to be more flexible, and more realistic."

Australia says it remains committed to bringing global attention to Pacific climate challenges.

A spokesperson for Climate Minister, Chris Bowen, said Australia was "focused on bringing the world to the region to see climate impacts and solutions firsthand and deliver on Pacific priorities".

"That involves convening a range of actors and leaders, across government, industry and civil society," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"Pre-COPs are critical to setting the main COPs up for success, and by bringing attention to the Pacific, we will be able to influence global negotiations to focus on our region. That's good for the Pacific and Australia."

Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen is leading Australia's preparations for the Pacific pre-COP meeting, aimed at putting Pacific climate priorities at the centre of global climate negotiations. Photo/Australian Labor Party

The spokesperson declined to say whether any world leaders had confirmed they would travel to Tuvalu.

Whether represented by presidents, prime ministers or ministers, Pacific leaders, who are set to meet in Palau later this month, hope the October meeting will keep climate change firmly on the global agenda and strengthen support for communities already facing rising seas, stronger storms and growing pressure to adapt.

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