By Peter Hobson
CANBERRA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Australia's efforts to put Pacific island nations at the centre of global climate diplomacy are falling short of ambitions, with few leaders from outside the region planning to attend a gathering in Tuvalu and Fiji next week, diplomats and officials say.
Australia and its Pacific island partners sought to turn the pre-COP conference - a forerunner to the UN's flagship COP31 event - into a headline-grabbing moment when some of the world's most recognisable
leaders would visit a tiny atoll threatened by rising seas and extreme weather.
A big event would also help Canberra win favour with island nations and counter Chinese influence in a region that has become a strategic flashpoint.
However, the only leaders from outside the Pacific bloc whose attendance conference organisers have confirmed are those of Antigua and Barbuda, Cabo Verde, Thailand, the Maldives and East Timor.
"We were hoping for more," said Ralph Regenvanu, climate minister of Vanuatu. "It just reflects the lack of attention and priority given to what Pacific nations consider the greatest threat to their future," he told Reuters.
Still, around 30 representatives of countries and institutions will attend the leaders' segment, the Fiji government said, making this the first pre-COP attended by presidents or prime ministers.
"One leader showing up, even from the Pacific, is a big step," said Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. But he called out countries that want to be Pacific partners and will not attend: "If you're a true partner, then deliver."
While the Australian government has trumpeted the event's importance, opposition parties that have rejected climate action have criticised the meeting and branded the low turnout "a diplomatic disaster."
A spokesperson for Australia's climate ministry said pre-COP would elevate Pacific climate leadership and progress the region's climate goals.
VULNERABILITIES AND SOLUTIONS
Pacific priorities include limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst effects of climate change, protecting oceans and greater access to funds to make their land and economies more resilient.
Island governments are seeking donations to a Pacific Resilience Facility that will finance climate projects across the region.
The UN's environment body said last month the world was set to exceed the 1.5-degree target in the coming years, fuelling more extreme weather and intensifying pressure on low-lying communities.
Leaders at pre-COP – which runs from October 5-8 - will spend about a day in Tuvalu, a group of atolls that is home to around 10,000 people, before signing a declaration in Fiji.
Around 4,000 delegates are expected in Fiji, where negotiators will spend several days progressing agreements to be struck at COP31 in Turkey in November.
In Tuvalu, leaders will travel by canoe and see reclaimed land designed to withstand sea-level rise and solar projects to reduce dependence on diesel, Tuvalu Climate Minister Maina Talia said.
"Our fate will be defined by the major polluters," Talia said. "We are hoping the leaders will see our vulnerabilities - but also solutions that will keep us afloat."
Diplomats from several Western nations said they could not justify sending their leaders on a multi-day journey when they would also be expected at COP31 in Turkey weeks later.
While images of leaders in Tuvalu could send a powerful message, Australia seemed more interested in using the event for a diplomatic win than as a means of progressing climate negotiations, one European diplomat said.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment on that criticism.
OUR MOMENT
Australia is the biggest provider of aid in the Pacific but also one of the world's biggest exporters of fossil fuels, shipping coal and liquefied natural gas worth around $100 billion a year.
It continues to approve gas and coal projects despite protest from many Pacific nations.
Palau's Whipps said he would rather Australia benefit from fossil fuels than countries like Russia or Saudi Arabia that he said were less committed to a green transition or supporting vulnerable nations.
"If someone's going to make money, it might as well be Australia," he said.
Australia initially wanted to host COP31 and make it the first 'Pacific COP'. Turkey secured hosting rights, but Canberra is leading negotiations and giving Pacific Islands a bigger role than they typically get.
"The Pacific is doing everything that it can to influence decision makers," said Lynda Tabuya, Fiji's climate minister. "This is our moment."
(Reporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Praveen Menon and Lincoln Feast.)
