Pacific leaders, scholars and ministers gathered in Suva, Fiji, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, for the “1.5°C to Stay Alive” forum — a major international event aimed at shaping Pacific priorities ahead of the official COP31 pre-meetings that begin on October 5. The forum’s outcomes will feed directly into the first session of the official pre-COP31 programme, as Pacific nations press to keep the 1.5°C goal at the centre of this year’s climate negotiations.
Key Facts
- The “1.5°C to Stay Alive” forum was held at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
- The event was led by the COP Universities Alliance and co-organised by the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk and Response, the University of the South Pacific and the University of Melbourne.
- Scholars, government ministers, policymakers and climate practitioners from Australia and across the Pacific attended; Australian negotiators were present to hear Pacific expectations.
- Outcomes from the forum will carry into the official pre-COP31 programme, which runs from October 5 to 8 and is being delivered by Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia.
- COP31 itself takes place from November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Türkiye, with Türkiye holding the presidency and Australia leading the negotiations.
Pacific Forum Sets the COP31 Agenda in Suva
The forum brought together climate experts and leaders to answer a single question: what will it take to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach, and what do Pacific nations expect from the COP31 negotiations in Antalya. Dr Wesley Morgan of the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk and Response, the forum’s lead organiser, said the event offered Pacific experts and leaders an important opportunity to explain what they want to see from COP31.
“Pacific countries played a key role in securing the 1.5°C goal in the Paris Agreement because, for the region, this is not an arbitrary number. It is considered a threshold for survival,” Dr Morgan said. He added that Australian negotiators were there “to listen to what Pacific ministers, researchers and communities expect from the negotiations” — describing the forum as “a genuine collaboration between Australian and Pacific universities, bringing regional expertise directly into the COP process.”
From Suva to the Pre-COP31 Meetings
The discussions and outcomes from the Suva forum will carry into the first session of the official pre-COP31 programme, which opens on Monday, October 5, and runs through October 8. The pre-COP is being delivered by Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia, and is designed to bring climate decision-makers to the Pacific before the Antalya negotiations, placing Pacific perspectives at the centre of the discussions.
COP31 itself will be held from November 9 to 20 at the Antalya EXPO Center. Under the partnership agreement, Türkiye will host the conference and exercise the formal functions of the COP presidency, while Australia will lead the negotiations. The World Leaders Summit is scheduled for November 11-12.
What the Pacific Wants From COP31
The Turkish presidency has said the summit should focus on implementing existing commitments rather than new pledges. The agenda is expected to cover food security, water efficiency, agriculture, public health, energy security, electrification, power grids, the circular economy, methane emissions, zero waste, climate-resilient cities, disaster risk management, green finance, carbon markets, green industrialisation, digitalisation, biodiversity, a just transition and marine ecosystems.
For Pacific negotiators, the priorities sharpened in Suva include the operationalisation of climate finance — including the $300 billion annual commitment from developed countries — financing for the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27, and progress on nationally determined contributions. Our climate coverage will track the pre-COP outcomes this week.
Conclusion
The Suva forum shows how the road to Antalya runs through the Pacific. With pre-COP meetings opening on October 5, the positions staked out in Fiji this weekend will help decide whether COP31 delivers implementation — or just another round of promises.
