A weak decision on key climate issues would be worse than no decision at all, according to Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael.

Speaking ahead of the Pre-COP31 negotiations, Michael says the priority is to find common ground on key issues before the negotiations move to Antalya, Türkiye.

He says a decision that fails to recognise and respect the Pacific’s key positions should not be accepted simply for the sake of reaching an agreement.

Michael says the Pacific would rather see a decision deferred than accept a weak outcome.

But he says the biggest disappointment would be if the large number of ministers and leaders attending Pre-COP31 fail to better understand the realities of climate change facing small island developing states.

He says the leaders have been brought to the Pacific to see those impacts first-hand and to understand where urgent and practical solutions are needed.

Michael says if they leave without a stronger understanding of those realities, that would be a major disappointment.