UN deputy chief urges 'keeping 1.5 alive' at Pacific pre-COP ahead of COP31 in Türkiye
8 October 2026
Leaders gathered for a pre-conference in the South Pacific, in Tuvalu and Fiji, this week to prepare for the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye in November.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged "keeping 1.5 alive", the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
She said: "Overshoot is not a reason to surrender. It is a call to accelerate", to make overshoot as short and small as possible.
She asked leaders to deliver on COP28 Dubai promises: transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.
She cited 655 million people still living without electricity and called for more early warning systems.
In plain words
Overshoot Temporarily exceeding 1.5C — Going above the 1.5 degree limit before bringing temperatures back down.
Pre-COP Preparatory climate meeting before a COP — A ministerial-level meeting held before the main climate summit to set the agenda.