Fiji hosts Pre-COP talks on climate finance and fossil fuel advertising

As leaders and dignitaries gather in Nadi, Fiji, for Pre-COP talks, new initiatives are addressing climate finance and fossil fuel influence in the Pacific region.

A campaign by the charity Comms Declare and advertising agency Brains has launched billboards at Nadi International Airport to protest fossil fuel advertising. The campaign aims to highlight the impact of industry spending, noting that Australian fossil fuel companies spent $48.5 million on advertising in the first quarter of 2026. Proponents of the campaign argue that such advertising promotes greenwashing and threatens survival by delaying the transition to renewable energy.

Simultaneously, a high-level Pre-COP event titled ‘Investing in Natural Capital: The Pacific Opportunity’ is being organized by Fiji National University and Monash University through the Pacific Action for Climate Transitions Research Centre. The gathering seeks to explore how the Pacific can leverage its forests, mangroves, reefs, and oceans to attract investment for climate resilience. The event aims to develop practical investment models for ecosystem services and the blue economy, ultimately producing a regional Call to Action to inform upcoming COP31 discussions.