World powers gather for climate battle

Wellington, Oct. 3: World powers are flying delegates to the Pacific to haggle over the fight against global warming, and to see the plight of island nations surrounded by a rising ocean.

Ministers, climate negotiators and a handful of leaders will meet in the Fijian city of Nadi for the October 5-8 talks. They will be charting the course for a major UN-sponsored global climate summit, known as COP31, to be held in November in Turkey's Antalya province.

For Pacific nations, hosting the preliminary talks in their region offers an opportunity to draw the world's attention to life on the frontline of climate change. Pacific leaders are pushing for the world to stick to a target of limiting global warming to 1.5C, enhance access to climate finance, and give more attention to the impact on oceans.

The sea level is rising at a record pace, driven by warming oceans and glacier melt, according to a UN report. Up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050, with Pacific island countries experiencing sea level rise at twice the global average, said the report released in August.