05/10/2026
The opening session of Pre-COP in Fiji was a powerful reminder that climate action is ultimately about people, places and our shared future.
Moving welcomes from Fijian choirs Primanavia and Rako Pasefika set the tone for the days ahead, grounding delegates in the reality that Pacific islands are not just places on a map. They are homes, cultures, communities and hearts that must be protected from the growing threat of climate displacement.
Across the opening discussions, a strong consensus emerged around three priorities:
- Keeping 1.5°C within reach;
- Ensuring climate finance becomes more robust and accessible for those who need it most, and;
- Recognising the vital role of the ocean in climate solutions.
Pacific leaders and advocates also reminded us that those experiencing the impacts of climate change first and most severely must be at the centre of decision-making.
We were also particularly heartened to see references in the Pre-COP 31 film to our common home and to climate action as an integral part of justice, words familiar to those of faith.
