Prime Minister Scott Morrison has talked up Australia's environmental credentials and offered a $2 million sweetener to Pacific leaders as they reach the pointy end of the debate over the region's stance on climate change.
Mr Morrison and his Pacific counterparts are on Thursday negotiating the final communique from the Pacific Islands Forum, with Australia at odds with smaller nations over the mention of coal and reducing emissions.
During negotiations, the prime minister announced $2 million to help the Pacific deal with oil spills and other maritime pollution events.
He has also spoken of Australia's record amounts of investment in renewables, reduced reliance on coal and turning around Labor's emissions deficit.
Australian PM Scott Morrison will join Pacific leaders for a closed day of talks on Thursday in Tuvalu. Source: AAP
Australia has two new coal mines on the cards, while the Morrison government is weighing up underwriting a new coal-fired power plant in Queensland to boost generation.
Ahead of the final negotiations Tuvalu's prime minister Enele Sopoaga said it would be "symbolically unfortunate" if Australia waters down the communique while stressing the nation is an important partner of the Pacific.
Smaller island nations have announced their own climate change declaration, which calls for an immediate global ban on the construction of new coal-fired power plants and coal mines.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with Mr Morrison. She's urged Australia to do more on climate change. Source: AAP
It also says global temperature rises should be limited to 1.5 degrees - fearing catastrophic consequences of a greater rise - which New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has backed.
The declaration is the starting point for negotiating the final communique with larger players Australia and New Zealand, who this week both redirected aid funding to the region.
Ms Ardern on Wednesday said Australia had to "answer to the Pacific on climate", but New Zealand's deputy prime minister Winston Peters has backtracked on the comments.
He says it's not the "proper picture" to think the region, or Ms Ardern, believe "Australians are somehow acting incorrectly".
Mr Peters said many Pacific nations are seeking loans from China, which were being supported on the backs of "coal-fired everything".
"There's a big picture we have to contemplate here and we've got to ensure that when we act in this big picture we act with consistency and integrity," he told ABC's Radio National.
Rather than calling for an immediate response to coal, the communique may simply say there needs to be a transition away from coal, or may not mention coal at all.
Australia's use of carryover credits to achieve its Paris emissions reduction target is also in the firing line.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has accused the Morrison government of not having a climate change policy but says coal will remain part of the nation's energy mix into the future.
The Australia Institute says Mr Morrison should work with the Pacific instead of "bullying" them, calling on his government to rule out using carryover credits.
Mr Morrison on Wednesday said he was ready for the "tough conversations" with his Pacific "family" while noting Australia's significant support in the region.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape could lend weight to Australia's desire to remove mention of coal in the communique, indicating an interest in ensuring it doesn't overreach.
This year's final communique could mirror that from last year's forum in Nauru, where Mr Sopoaga called out Australia for preventing a stronger statement on climate change.
