Pacific leaders on Monday gathered in Fiji for preparatory talks ahead of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), which will be held in Türkiye next month, with the host nation urging greater focus on oceans and the blue economy.
“The ocean and blue economy must be central to our climate negotiations, and we must integrate the ocean-climate nexus into those negotiations,” said Lynda Tabuya, Fiji’s minister for environment and climate change.
Tabuya was addressing the gathering in Fiji’s city of Nadi, which is hosting the Pacific Pre-COP31 meeting this week, FBC News reported.
The Pacific communities “depend heavily on the ocean for food, livelihoods and economic activity, making greater investment in ocean protection and sustainable development essential,” she said, calling for limiting global warming to the 1.5-degree target and stressing the need for climate finance to reach vulnerable communities faster and more fairly.
Tabuya said Fiji will push for stronger action on clean shipping, renewable energy, sustainable fisheries and ocean conservation.
“Our ocean is central to the climate solution and climate action cannot succeed without that being front and center.”
The UN’s COP31 conference will be held in the Mediterranean city of Antalya from Nov. 9-20.