Overview:
At COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Palau leads the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in demanding urgent global climate action. Read how Ambassador Ilana Seid calls for stronger emissions cuts, reliable adaptation finance, and a unified push to bridge the 1.5-degree implementation gap.
By: Elilai Rengiil
ANTALYA, Türkiye (November 9, 2026) — Palau, as chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), is calling for stronger emissions cuts and reliable climate funding at COP31, warning that rising temperatures demand action rather than surrender.
Palau’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ilana Seid, made the appeal during the November 5–6 preparatory meeting of small island developing states in Antalya, ahead of the November 9–20 climate negotiations.
Responding to a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report warning that global warming is likely to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next few years, Seid said the findings must not become an excuse to give up.
“It must be a wake-up call and above all a call to action,” she said.
Seid warned that climate impacts were already intensifying, citing concerns about drought in parts of the Pacific and Caribbean linked to a supercharged El Niño.
The two-day meeting brought together AOSIS negotiators and officials to finalize shared positions before the talks. The alliance represents 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states.
Seid said COP31 must focus on delivery, turning commitments into measurable results for vulnerable countries.
“COP31 must be a COP of delivery and implementation, and we need a credible, action-oriented pathway to close the 1.5-degree implementation gap with stronger NDCs, accelerated implementation of the global stock take (GST) against energy commitments, a just transition away from fossil fuels, and the climate finance adaptation support, and predictable loss and damage funding that SIDS need to turn commitments into action,” Seid said.
The talks come at a difficult time for international cooperation, Seid said, but small island states must remain united to ensure their concerns are heard.
“We must continue to fight for what’s right because it’s here, through multilateralism, that our collective strength in numbers matters,” she said. “It’s here that we have a vital seat at the table.”
Seid noted the opportunities presented to the COP31 presidencies and leaders during pre-COP in Tuvalu and Fiji, hosted by the Australian Pacific COP31 Partnership and hoped that the experiences translate into tangible outcomes here in Türkiye.