Pacific leaders are being urged to strengthen safeguards against fossil fuel and other vested interests influencing climate negotiations as they gather in Palau ahead of major international climate talks.
Transparency International Pacific Chapters made the call ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, saying the region must continue demonstrating leadership through transparency, accountability and integrity in climate decision-making.
The organisation said Pacific countries were on the frontline of climate change and could not allow private interests to weaken or delay measures needed to protect vulnerable communities.
“For Pacific nations, the stakes are too high to allow vested private interests to weaken or delay action while our communities continue to bear the consequences,” the statement said.
Transparency International said recent international climate negotiations had heightened concerns about the influence of vested interests.
It said that at COP30 in Belém, 54 per cent of participants in national delegations either did not disclose their type of affiliation or identified themselves using broad categories such as “Guest” or “Other”.
“These developments raise an important question: who is shaping climate decisions that determine the future of our communities already facing the impacts of climate change?” it said.
The Pacific chapters want Forum leaders to champion stronger integrity safeguards within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process ahead of COP31.
They are calling for a code of conduct for delegates attending pre-COP and COP31 meetings and disclosure of participants’ links to fossil fuel and other high-polluting industries.
The group also wants Australia to demonstrate leadership on integrity ahead of COP31, including through the early establishment of an independent ethics committee.
Transparency International said Pacific leaders had already committed to principles of integrity through regional initiatives including the Teieniwa Vision, 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and Boe Declaration.
It said those commitments now needed to translate into action within regional and global climate governance.
“We believe Pacific Leaders have both the moral authority and the responsibility to champion these reforms within the UNFCCC at a time when public trust in climate negotiations is under increasing pressure,” the statement said.
“The future of the Blue Pacific depends not only on climate ambition, but on the integrity of the systems that deliver it.”
