Fossil fuel transition is not up for renegotiation, Fiji's leader tells pre-COP meeting
Australia's prime minister warned of a summer of floods, cyclones and extreme heat after leaders visited Tuvalu, where rising seas threaten damage costs larger than its economy.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told leaders gathered in Fiji for a preparatory climate meeting that the global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels is "not open for renegotiation."
"The transition away from fossil fuels was agreed to by all of us in Dubai," Rabuka said, referring to the 28th United Nations climate conference (COP28) in 2023. The meeting, co-hosted by Fiji and Tuvalu, comes a month before the 31st United Nations climate conference (COP31) opens in Turkey.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that his country faces a summer of floods, cyclones and extreme heat as a "super El Niño" builds in the Pacific. "Climate change is not a problem for the future. It is here right now," he said. Australia has faced criticism at the talks for urging climate action while expanding coal and gas; a state regulator last week approved what would be the largest coal mine in New South Wales' history, pending federal approval.
Before the meeting, the delegation visited Tuvalu, home to about 10,000 people living mostly less than 2 meters above sea level. Jamie Ovia, Tuvalu's director of climate change, said rising seas could push annual flood and storm-surge damage to $34 million by 2050 and $63 million by 2100, more than the country's entire economic output.
"Why should countries like Tuvalu take on more debt to protect ourselves from a climate crisis we did so little to cause?" said Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo.
This brief is based on reporting by Adam Morton, published Oct. 6, 2026, in the Guardian. Read the original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/06/agreement-to-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels-not-open-for-renegotiation-pacific-leader-tells-pre-cop
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
