Adaptation to the devastating impacts of climate change for Pacific communities is not a choice but a matter of survival, a Solomon Islands climate negotiator has stressed.
As Pacific climate negotiators convened in Samoa, Melissa Horokou of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Climate Change said adaptation remains a top priority for her country and for all Pacific nations.
“Adaptation for the Solomon Islands, as other Pacific countries can relate to, is really a matter of survival when it comes to the devastating impacts of climate change — it’s either you learn to live and adapt to the change, or you will struggle,” she said.
“Heading to COP30 in Belem, adaptation continues to be a priority, as well as mitigation and other key thematic areas. These are critical to our survival.”
Horokou is among Pacific negotiators meeting in Apia to strategise and finalise preparations for the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP30), which will take place in Belem, Brazil, from November 10 to 21, 2025.
Focus on the Global Goal on Adaptation
In the lead-up to COP30, Pacific nations are working collectively to refine indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a key outcome area of the Paris Agreement that seeks to strengthen global resilience to climate impacts.
“The main thing for us right now is to finalise the indicators we have on the Global Goal on Adaptation. That’s on top of our priority list — we need to ensure our priorities, and the needs of our communities, are reflected and captured in these indicators,” Horokou said.
“I’m not sure we can have a finalised list by Belem, however I am optimistic because the work has started in getting everyone to understand the indicators and finding common ground. So I’m hopeful for a good outcome on this," she added.
The GGA uses around 100 indicators categorised under seven thematic areas—water, food, health, ecosystems, infrastructure, poverty, and cultural heritage—and four adaptation cycle areas: impact assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL). These are being negotiated under the UAE–Belem Work Programme to track progress toward the UAE Framework for Climate Resilience.
Strengthening the Pacific voice
The Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) pre-COP30 meeting, held from 7 to 9 October and chaired by Tuvalu, serves as one of the last opportunities for Pacific countries to consolidate their positions ahead of the global conference.
“COP provides a platform for us to discuss these critical issues which impact us. It’s an opportunity for Pacific countries to amplify our priorities and our voices, and that’s why I am excited and privileged to be part of this process,” Horokou added.
The meeting, hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) headquarters in Apia, is supported by Climate Analytics and OneCROP, with funding from the Government of Australia through the project “Strengthening Pacific Leadership in International Climate Change Engagement.”
Representatives from the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are attending. The discussions focus on the Pacific’s priority thematic areas and strategies to ensure strong regional positions at COP30.
SPREP, as Chair of OneCROP, leads coordination of Pacific engagement in international climate change negotiations under the UNFCCC, working closely with Tuvalu as Chair of PSIDS to advance collective aims and strengthen the Pacific’s role in global climate discussions.
