Pacific awaits unpaid climate funds as Cop31 nears; fossil fuel phase-out divides hosts

Ahead of Cop31, over $5 billion in promised climate finance to Pacific nations remains unpaid, with El Niño driving sea temperatures to record levels. Turkey and Australia, as co-hosts, push for accelerated electrification, but participating countries remain split on phasing down fossil fuels. The funding shortfall and policy divide threaten to undermine summit outcomes and regional trust.