More than 1,817 people have registered for Fiji’s Noqu Vanua stakeholder programme, with about 550 participants, including delegations, taking part in the Red Zone programme at the Sheraton as Fiji hosts Pre-COP31.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Sivendra Michael, says the numbers show a significant increase in participation compared with Fiji’s previous Pre-COP in 2017.

He says about 500 people attended the 2017 Pre-COP, including the workforce.

Michael says the sharp increase this year reflects growing interest from stakeholders wanting to contribute to climate discussions and find solutions.

He says the greater participation also reflects a growing realisation of the impacts of climate change.

Michael also highlighted progress and gaps in global climate action under the Paris Agreement.

He says one of the major areas where progress has been slow is climate finance.

The previous US$100 billion annual climate finance goal was only reached in 2021, despite being expected earlier.

Under the new collective quantified goal, developed countries are expected to provide US$300 billion annually by 2030, while efforts are also being made to mobilise US$1.3 trillion from other sources.

Michael says for Fiji, securing funding is only one part of the challenge.

He says the focus must also be on how quickly approved funds are actually disbursed and used to deliver climate projects on the ground.