Pacific leaders call for urgent action to keep 1.5°c in pre-COP31 talks

06 October 2026 – For Pacific communities already facing rising seas, saltwater intrusion, warming oceans and changing food systems, 1.5°C is not simply a global temperature target. It is a question of survival, livelihoods and whether communities can remain where they are.

As Pre-COP31 officially gets underway in Fiji, Pacific leaders and scholars are calling for an immediate acceleration of climate action, stronger access to climate finance and greater recognition of the lived realities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

These issues were brought into sharp focus during a regional lead-in discussion held at The University of the South Pacific (USP) Laucala Campus on Saturday, hosted by USP in partnership with the COP Universities Alliance under the banner, “1.5°C to Stay Alive: Aligning Finance, Justice and Community Voices to Keep 1.5°C in Reach.”

The discussion helped set the tone for the week ahead, bringing together Pacific and Australian scholars, policymakers and climate advocates to consider the pathways needed to keep 1.5°C within reach, strengthen international legal obligations, expand climate finance and respond to the mounting impacts of ocean warming and sea-level rise across SIDS.

Reflecting on progress since the Paris Agreement, speakers noted that international action has helped shift the projected global warming trajectory from around 4.0°C to approximately 2.6°C. However, they stressed that this progress is not enough. Keeping warming within 1.5°C will require an unprecedented acceleration in decarbonisation, climate finance and international cooperation.

USP Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council and the Interim Management Group (IMG), Right Honourable Siosiua Utoikamanu said the consequences of exceeding 1.5°C cannot be viewed simply through global statistics.

“For the Pacific, 1.5°C is not an abstract point on a chart. It concerns whether coastal communities can remain where they are, whether families have reliable water and food, whether the ocean can continue to sustain livelihoods, and what choices will be available to the next generation,” the Pro-Chancellor said.

“Keeping warming to 1.5°C is becoming harder. The prospect of temporarily exceeding that threshold cannot be treated as a harmless delay, followed by an easy return. Every additional increment of warming brings consequences. For a community facing saltwater intrusion or the loss of a reef, a temporary global overshoot may leave lasting local damage.”

He said USP has a responsibility to contribute to regional and global climate conversation.

“We are a university created and owned by Pacific countries to serve Pacific peoples. Across USP, our people study oceans and sea-level rise, climate risks and adaptation, finance and public policy. They work with communities whose knowledge of land, weather, food systems and the sea have developed over generations. They also train the Pacific scientists, lawyers, public servants and negotiators who will carry this work forward on the global stage.”

For COP31 Envoy for Oceania Kristina Eonemto Stege, the Pacific’s position at the frontline of the climate crisis gives the region a critical role in shaping the global response.

“The Pacific has been standing awake and sounding the alarm for people and planet for decades. The clarity of our vision is needed now more than ever,” Stege said.

“My task, your task, our task is to stay true to that role of juumemmej or sentinel, staying awake and sounding the alarm from the frontlines. Pre-COP has brought the world to the Pacific, leaders, officials, and Party delegations from across the globe.”

“I hope you will all help them to go home feeling inspired to act to keep 1.5 within reach. Because, for the Pacific, 1.5 to stay alive’ is not a slogan. It is a lifeline.”

The need for a stronger regional voice was also emphasised by UNSW Institute for Climate Risks & Response Research Associate Dr Wesley Morgan, speaking on behalf of the COP Universities Alliance.

“Today’s conference is a partnership between universities in Australia and across the Pacific as part of the COP Universities Alliance. We are very grateful for The University of the South Pacific playing host to academics from across the region,” Dr Morgan said.

“It’s been a wonderful day to bring together knowledge in science, law, social science, the arts, and we think it shows real solidarity between people across the region so that we can present with one voice what we need to do to keep 1.5 alive.”

With pre-COP31 now officially underway, discussions throughout the week in Fiji will focus on four core priorities: keeping 1.5°C within reach, enhancing access to climate finance, elevating the ocean-climate nexus, and amplifying Pacific leadership and youth voices.