COP31 unites Australia and the Pacific

Flooding in Nepal, heatwaves in Europe and forest fires in Canada are just some of the devastating effects of climate change experienced in 2026. 

An article in The Conversation looks at this year’s 31st United Nations Climate Summit. Called COP31, it will be held in Turkey, with a pre-COP event hosted by Australia in Fiji and Tuvalu.

The goal of the annual summit is to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, as set out in the Paris Agreement. Countries will discuss practical measures the nearly 200 signatories can take to meet this target. However, achieving it requires a collective effort to substantially phase out fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Current efforts are not enough to keep warming below even 1.8°C, let alone 1.5°C.

Nations in the Pacific are disproportionally affected by climate change. People living in low lying nations such as Tuvalu are at risk of flooding from rising sea levels. Crops destroyed by salinity, coastal erosion and flooded roads and runways are forcing residents to migrate. Heavily polluting first world countries are expected to meet the financial goal of $1.3 Trillion by 2035 to support developing countries most at risk of the effects of climate change.

There has been criticism of Australia for not co-hosting the summit and Australia’s ongoing reliance on fossil fuel exports. Days before the summit opened, the NSW Independent Planning Commission approved the expansion of Hunter Valley Operations which looks to extract an estimated 430 million tonnes of coal. There was also disappointment at the pre-COP31 summit that only two non Pacific countries sent representatives, Timor-Leste and Mauritius.

Australia has positioned itself as a leading voice on climate change. The COP31 Australian and Turkish presidency will announce a goal to increase electricity as an energy source from 20% today to 35% by 2035. They hope this initiative to increase renewable energy use will drive down the use of fossil fuels. But Australia will need to commit more to phasing out coal mining to maintain good-faith relations with the Pacific.

Read more about COP31 in The Conversation.