Pacific Nations Demand 1.5C Limit at COP31 Negotiations

Pacific officials and negotiators convened at the Antalya Expo Centre in Türkiye for COP31 climate change negotiations. Led by the Government of Fiji, which chairs the Pacific Small Island Developing States, the delegation is advocating for the 1.5°C warming threshold as a critical lifeline for the survival of Pacific communities.

The urgency follows a United Nations Environment Programme report warning that the world is likely to temporarily exceed the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit. Such an overshoot threatens small island states with extreme weather and rising sea levels. The delegation's strategy focuses on four pillars: maintaining the 1.5°C goal, improving access to climate finance, elevating the ocean-climate nexus, and amplifying Pacific leadership.

This diplomatic push follows a Pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi and the adoption of the Taku Pakasoa Declaration. The Pacific Delegation Office, managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme in partnership with the New Zealand Government, is providing support to officials in Antalya to ensure a unified regional voice during the summit.