Cop29 negotiations aren’t moving fast enough. The Pacific is running out of time, President of Palau

Photograph: Matthew Abbott/The Guardian

A week into Cop29 negotiations, we’re not moving fast enough – or anywhere for that matter – on some key issues.

Climate finance, or more specifically the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to replace the current $100bn a year goal, and the work to operationalise the loss and damage fund, are key expected outcomes here in Baku.

The multilateral process is important. However, as a citizen of a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), and the president of Palau, the pace with which these negotiations are moving can sometimes feel agonisingly frustrating.

The importance of these issues to Pacific countries cannot be understated. Around the world, conversations on global security often revolve around invasions, acts of terrorism and threats to peace. For us, the climate crisis is our invasion. It’s a relentless, unyielding force that attacks our food security, our economy, our culture and our very existence.