Almost 600 official negotiators and 2,560 participants from civil society, academia and activist groups registered for the meetings, which opened on Monday in Fiji. The gathering is a curtain-raiser for COP31, the annual United Nations climate summit scheduled for early November in Turkey, with Australia and Fiji jointly hosting the Pacific meetings as part of a compromise deal reached with Turkey at last year's COP30.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Fiji on Monday afternoon. Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen pledged $7.29 million towards the region's renewable energy transition. Local media reports suggest a Pacific declaration could be issued, calling for fair representation for small island states in climate governance and guaranteed funding.
Speaking at the event will be former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern, alongside Fijian Minister for Climate Lynda Tabuya. The meetings focus on the threat of climate change to small island nations, where rising sea levels and extreme weather pose existential risks.
Australia's engagement with the Pacific has deepened since the Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China in 2022, which alarmed Canberra. Since then, Australia has signed bilateral agreements with Tuvalu (2023), Naoero (2024), Papua New Guinea (2025), Vanuatu (2026), and most recently Fiji in July. Both the Vanuatu and Fiji agreements include commitments to pursue net zero economies.
In Australia, the opposition Coalition criticised the summit, according to reports, with some leaders staying away and describing the meetings as 'pedestrian'. The criticism highlights domestic political divisions over climate policy as Australia balances its fossil fuel exports with its Pacific climate commitments.