Co-hosting COP31 would be another notch for Pacific climate diplomacy

The Pacific island states have played a pivotal role in securing landmark court finding

- Jonathan Pearlman

SYDNEY — In a little-known feat of modern diplomacy, the Pacific island nations — some of the world's smallest — have taken the lead in tackling climate change.

The states were pivotal in securing a landmark International Court of Justice (ICJ) finding in July, which makes countries legally liable for failing to prevent climate change.

Pacific nations are also pushing to host the COP31 summit in November 2026, in partnership with Australia.

In a statement on Aug 20, the Pacific Islands Forum — an 18-member grouping that includes Australia and New Zealand — stated their "strong commitment" to hosting the UN climate summit in partnership with Australia, declaring it a "Pacific COP" to ensure that Pacific priorities are heard.

Australia and Turkey are both bidding for COP31. A decision is expected to be made during the COP30 conference in Brazil in November.

Pacific island nations are battling to ensure their survival amid rising seas and more extreme weather events.

The ICJ's advisory opinion issued on July 23 was a major step in holding major emitters accountable.

In a rare, unanimous opinion, the court in The Hague said that climate change was "an existential problem of planetary proportions", and that countries need to aim to limit global warming to 1.5 deg C above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement.

The seeds for the monumental guidance were sown in 2019 by a group of university students in Vanuatu discussing an assignment on climate change.