A transcript of today's Pre-COP closing press conference, featuring remarks from Fijian Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya, COP31 President-Designate, Turkish Minister for Environment and Urban Planning Murat Kurum, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, and UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell is available here
Bula,
The Pacific Pre-COP in Fiji has come to a close, putting the region's priorities at the centre of next month's global climate summit in Türkiye.
Over four days, around 4,000 people from more than 100 nations shared ideas, plans and tangible announcements on climate, including energy security, electrification, building climate resilience and the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition.
Discussions were built around forging a path to the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, next month, with focus on the Pacific's priorities of keeping 1.5 degrees within reach, elevating the ocean-climate nexus and accelerating access to finance. Here’s a summary of the whole week.
Here's what happened on Thursday:
A joint morning press conference was held by Minister Lynda Tabuya of Fiji, Minister Chris Bowen of Australia, Minister Murat Kurum of Türkiye and UN Climate's Simon Stiell. Here's what they said:
Minister Tabuya
"We're very proud of what we have achieved this week. So many of these achievements are rooted in Indigenous knowledge, traditions of our custodianship working together with climate science.
"But our work is not done. We have set the stage to COP31, but now we look ahead to Türkiye where we must achieve the following outcomes: keeping 1.5 degrees within reach, get climate finance into the hands of the people who really need it, and of course, putting the ocean in its rightful place in the climate agenda."
Minister Kurum (also COP31 President-designate)
"It was intentional to choose the Pacific as the venue for the Pre-COP because this is the frontline of the climate crisis. We traveled to Tuvalu, heard firsthand what people are experiencing. We witnessed it ourselves. Tuvalu has made no contribution to this crisis, but unfortunately, they are faced with the threat. They are faced with an existential crisis, and they are paying the heaviest price."
"Science is clearly warning us the 1.5-degree target is in jeopardy. We do not have a single minute, a single day to lose. So, this 1.5-degree goal is a matter of survival -- the survival of cultures, history, memories, your homeland, your homes -- it's that important."
Minister Bowen (also COP31 President of Negotiations)
"A year ago, when Minister Kurum and I were first planning this innovative partnership -- this unprecedented partnership to deliver a COP -- we agreed immediately that we should use Pre-COP to give us the best possible launching pad for COP31. To use it as an opportunity to give a voice to those who struggled to be heard at COPs for many years: small island developing states best represented here by the Pacific."
"I thank my friend Murat for agreeing to that. It's something we have worked hard to deliver over the last few days, and it's something that has seen the Pacific give COP31 the best chance of hearing their voice."
UN's Simon Stiell
"Throughout the week, this region has shown again how to meet danger with determination, innovation, cooperation, and practical solutions. That is the spirit we need heading into COP31, if it is to deliver on its full potential this year.
"That is to drive forward implementation. Because this is what COP31 can and must do: Help convert promises into more real-world results, and that depends on many factors, including scaling up, speeding up, and broadening access to affordable climate finance."
“Every nation is now on the front lines of the climate crisis. Every economy is already getting hammered. Now, El Niño is upping the ante and supercharging these climate costs. But few nations have as much at stake as small islands.”
Announcements
Minister Bowen launched the Global Rooftop Solar Pledge, becoming the first nation to sign onto the initiative, which was started by the Australian community-based group Solar Citizens and sub-national governments.
The aim it to get 300 million solar panels on rooftops globally by 2030.
One in 3 Australians have rooftop solar panels, and more than 500,000 batteries have been installed in homes.
"Australians and people who are undertaking this journey around the world are prosumers -- producers and consumers -- of energy, and they are therefore so much more in charge."
"The grid's more secure. The household's more secure, and everyone's better off, and the house is more in charge. And I just think it's a win-win-win for everybody involved."
Access to Finance
Australia launched an Access to Finance Statement and Action Plan, backing practical action to make climate finance faster, simpler and more accessible, with a focus on reducing barriers that delay funding reaching vulnerable communities. Other countries can join as part of the Action Agenda.
More than US$16 billion in climate finance has been committed to Pacific countries since the Paris Agreement, yet over US$5 billion remains undisbursed. A major focus of Pre-COP was ensuring existing commitments translate into real outcomes on the ground.
The Ocean
Pacific nations gave powerful remarks on the need to elevate the ocean in the COP process in a plenary session.
Here's what Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, said:
"Recognising that the COP31 co-presidents established elevating the ocean-climate nexus as one of the five pillars of the COP31 Pacific Partnership, Türkiye has assured us that it will work towards an Antalya Ocean Declaration that recognises the centrality of the -climate nexus in the regulation of the planet's climate and will support ocean-based climate action going forward.
"So, the resounding message from the Pacific Pre-COP should be that never again should Mother Ocean, the planet's primary climate regulator, be consigned to the back rows of deliberations."
And Fiji Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo added:
"If you were designing the climate architecture from scratch today, would you leave out the planet's largest sink of excess heat? And its largest active reservoir of carbon? Perhaps not. Yet that is close to what we are doing.
"The ocean has absorbed around a quarter of the carbon dioxide that we emit as humans and more than 90% of the excess heat that we have trapped. It is the planet's climate regulator and the largest carbon sink active, and the reason the world is not already far warmer than it is. And it's paying for this service with its health."
Closing
Pre-COP has come to an emotional close with moving statements, including from Minister Tabuya.
Here's what ministers said:
Minister Lynda Tabuya, Fiji
"Pre-COP does not adopt decisions. Its true value will be measured by what happens next: whether these conversations we've had here will inform and shape decisions in Antalya; whether new NCDs close the gap in alignment with our obligation to maintain the 1.50degree limit; whether climate finance reaches our communities effectively, faster, and at the scale required; and ultimately by whether our actions make a real difference in the lives of billions of people exposed to climate crisis."
Minister Chris Bowen, Australia
"Minister Kurum and I were determined to design Pre-COP 31 to give us the best possible launching pad for Antalya."
"We've also wanted to lift those issues on the agenda and get them more prominence at COP, and that is certainly something I think we've been able to do with our visit to Tuvalu and the extensive stakeholder program with more than 3,000 attendees and over 100 events and all the contributions in here.
"When we think of small island developing states, we think of the small island developing states of the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and our Pacific family, and we think of those who've done so little to cause this crisis, and live with it so much every day, not in the future, today."
Minister Maina Talia, Tuvalu
"Following its adoption of the 6th of October, we invite other parties to consider associating themselves with the declaration ahead of COP31. Join with us to advance global climate action and implementation to secure a better future for generations to come.
"It celebrates the leadership and advocacy of global youth, Indigenous peoples, local communities, which are essential to decision-making and recognises the importance of their contributions to climate actions and future generations.
"It recognises the accelerating crisis of ocean warming, acidification, sea level rise, including from the loss of glaciers and ice sheets. These are just a few points in the declaration.
"Overall, the declaration represents an unwavering commitment to continue to act on climate change and to call on the world to unite behind those on the frontlines of the climate crisis."
Vinaka, until Antalya.
