For communities across the Pacific, climate change is not a distant threat, it is a daily reality. Climate change impacts, such as coastal erosion and rising sea levels, threaten the livelihoods, resources and culture of people in the region.
Since 2022, we have supported the Youth Negotiators Programme to equip young people around the world with the skills to participate in climate diplomacy. Ahead of COP31, where a new cohort of 275 young people from 63 countries will be participating, we caught up with Climate Youth Negotiators from across the Pacific to see which issues they are advocating for at the conference.
Michelle Fifiri, Solomon Islands
Michelle is is currently doing an internship at the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, where she provides crucial support in assessing climate adaptation.
What inspired you to become involved in climate diplomacy?
For me and my people, climate change is not a distant threat. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, extreme weather events, drought, flooding are already threatening our homes, livelihoods, food security, water resources, culture and the resources we depend on for survival.
The land and ocean are more than just places where we live – they are our identity, our tradition, and have a deep connection to our way of life. When our coastline erodes or our communities face displacement, we’re not only losing our homes, but our cultural heritage and sense of belonging. The things that define who we are.
Through climate diplomacy, I want to ensure the voices and lived experiences of communities across the Pacific are represented in international climate negotiations. Young people should not simply be the generation that inherits the consequences of today’s decisions; we must be meaningfully included in shaping those decisions. Youth participation should go beyond attending meetings or sharing statements; it should involve genuine opportunities to influence policies, contribute to negotiations and help make decisions.
What issue deserves much greater attention at COP31?
Most urgent is keeping the 1.5°C temperature limit within reach. For people across the Pacific, 1.5°C is not just a number in a negotiation; it is our lifeline, and every fraction of a degree is a matter of survival. Keeping 1.5°C alive requires urgent and ambitious global emission reductions, backed by real action rather than political promises.
Climate finance also deserves more attention. Support must reach the communities that need it most, including remote islands and rural villages that often have limited resources and capacity to respond to the growing climate crisis.
Lastly, climate negotiations must recognise that protecting the ocean is inseparable from addressing the climate crisis. As island nations, our future is inseparable from the ocean. It is central to our livelihoods, food security, cultural identity and economic well-being. Ocean warming, acidification, coral reef degradation, and rising sea-levels all threaten the marine ecosystems that our communities depend upon..
What message are you bringing to this year’s negotiations?
Keep 1.5°C alive, deliver climate finance, protect our ocean, and give young people a meaningful seat at the table.
We are calling on world leaders to keep the 1.5°C goal alive through deep and sustained emissions reductions. We want fair, predictable and accessible climate finance that enables vulnerable countries and communities to adapt, recover and build long-term resilience. And we want stronger recognition of the ocean–climate nexus, including greater efforts to protect marine ecosystems, coral reefs, and the resources that sustain our people and cultures.
Most importantly, as a young Solomon Islander, I want young people to be recognised as partners in climate diplomacy. We bring fresh perspectives, community knowledge, energy and a strong commitment to inter-generational justice. Our participation must be meaningful, adequately supported, and reflected in the decisions that shape our future.
Jenny Chand, Fiji
Jenny Chand is a Climate Finance Officer with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, where she supports efforts to mobilise resources and strengthen resilience across the Fiji Islands.
What inspired you to become involved in climate diplomacy?
Growing up in Fiji, climate change has never felt like a distant issue. It directly affects our communities, livelihoods, cultures and future. Through climate diplomacy, I want to contribute to the decisions that shape how the world responds to this crisis, particularly for vulnerable island nations like ours. I believe that the voices of young people and Pacific communities must be represented in these discussions, not just as people experiencing the impacts of climate change, but as part of the solutions.
What issue deserves much greater attention at COP31?
Climate finance, particularly adaptation finance, deserves much greater attention. Countries like Fiji contribute very little to global emissions but face significant challenges in adapting to climate change. We need finance that is simplified, accessible, predictable and does not leave vulnerable countries with more debt. Discussions should go beyond financial commitments and focus on how that support can reach the countries and communities that need it most. Climate action cannot move forward without the resources to put commitments into practice.
What message you are bringing fto this year's negotiations?
The Pacific is not asking to be saved; we are asking for the means to protect our homes, culture and people, to shape our future and to lead our own solutions. Young people in our region want to see commitments translated into meaningful action, particularly through accessible climate finance, stronger adaptation efforts and decisions that reflect the realities of our communities. Our future should not be determined by promises made in negotiation rooms, but by the action that follows them. For the Pacific, every year of delay has real consequences, and our generation cannot afford to keep waiting.
What gives you hope that we can accelerate climate action despite the challenges we face?
The resilience of our people, even though we are so vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. After cyclones, floods and other disasters, our people rebuild and stand united again. If they can do that, then we, as young people attending COP and other global forums, can also speak up, participate in discussions, and advocate for what is best for our people back home. We can show world leaders and contributors what vulnerable nations are facing if we fail to keep 1.5°C alive.
Drinnette James, Micronesia
Drinnette is a terrestrial conservation professional supporting community-based environmental stewardship across Micronesia. Her work promotes local knowledge in nature-based solutions to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience.
What inspired you to become involved in climate diplomacy?
Living on a small island, you see firsthand how interconnected everything is. Environmental changes are difficult to ignore, and their impacts can be devastating to communities. My own village experiences increasingly frequent flooding, water shortages and more intense heatwaves, all exacerbated by climate change. Witnessing these impacts firsthand, especially on children and people close to me, I want to help ensure that our islands are not left behind, that our voices are heard, and that we have the support needed to strengthen our resilience to a rapidly changing environment.
What issue deserves much greater attention at COP31?
Climate finance remains a critical issue, particularly for small island states. Local and Indigenous communities have invaluable knowledge of their environments and innovative solutions to address climate change. However, adequate and accessible financing is essential to turn these solutions into action and ensure resources reach the communities that need them most.
What message you are bringing to this year's negotiations?
My generation grew up hearing stories of the abundance and diversity that once existed. We have the power to ensure that future generations will have the chance to experience those stories firsthand. They deserve as much as we do to inherit a world where people and nature can thrive, instead of one where they must fight to keep their islands from drowning.
What gives you hope that we can accelerate climate action despite the challenges we face?
I have faith in the goodness of humanity. I believe that we all strive for a better future, even though our perspectives of what is best may differ. I lean on my faith when the challenges seem too great to overcome, and this faith gives me hope that we can find common ground and work toward solutions that benefit us all.
