Putting the ocean at the centre of global climate action will be one of the Pacific’s key priorities heading into COP31, after Fiji secured a commitment from the COP31 presidency to keep pushing the issue onto the climate agenda.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Lynda Tabuya says the Pacific cannot separate the climate crisis from what is happening to its oceans.

Speaking at the final Pre-COP31 press conference in Nadi, Tabuya said Türkiye, which will preside over COP31, and Australia, which is leading the negotiations, have committed to continuing efforts to elevate the ocean at the climate talks.

“We are the Blue Pacific continent. We are big ocean states. And we need to get the oceans on the climate agenda at COP31,” Tabuya said.

The issue has already been recognised within the UN climate process through the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue.

But the Pacific is pushing for the ocean-climate connection to have a stronger place in COP31 discussions and eventual outcomes.

The Taku Pakasoa Declaration, agreed by leaders during Pre-COP31, recognises the growing threats of ocean warming, acidification, sea-level rise and marine biodiversity loss.

It also calls for stronger ocean science and welcomes efforts under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to address the impacts of climate change on the ocean and strengthen ocean-based solutions.

For Pacific nations, the issue is deeply connected to their survival.

Rising seas are already threatening land, homes and infrastructure, while warming and changing oceans affect food security, livelihoods and ecosystems.

Tabuya says the Pacific also wants COP31 to build on a landmark international recognition that countries can maintain their maritime zones despite climate-driven sea-level rise and loss of land.

“We need to see that all the way through to COP31,” she said.

The push was also highlighted as one of the three key Pacific priorities at Pre-COP31, alongside keeping the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach and improving access to climate finance.

Australia’s Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the Pacific’s priorities have been deliberately placed at the heart of the lead-up to COP31.

The Taku Pakasoa Declaration also calls for collective action to protect the ocean as a major climate regulator and carbon sink, while reducing the impacts of climate change on ocean systems.

The question now is how far that commitment will translate into formal COP31 outcomes when negotiations begin in Antalya, Türkiye.