In the remote settlement of Savadrua, 66‑year‑old Marica Malumuca has been living in a tent for five years after her home village, Nabavatu, was declared unsafe in 2021 because of cyclones.

Her story illustrates the everyday reality of Pacific islanders who are already feeling the worst effects of rising seas and stronger storms.

At the same time, Australia remains the world’s largest exporter of coal and gas. Dr Morgan, a research associate with the Institute for Climate Risk and Response at UNSW, says the emissions from those exports more than double the country’s domestic emissions.

The latest expansion plan for the Hunter Valley coal mine would allow the extraction of about 430 million tonnes of coal and is projected to add roughly 809 megatonnes of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Pacific leaders have reacted sharply. Vanuatu’s Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu called the expansion a “slap in the face,” while Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo warned it is a “death sentence” for his nation.

Australia has spent almost $19 billion of a $20.6 billion aid commitment and has signed bilateral security deals with many Pacific nations, positioning itself as the region’s key partner.

The contrast between that diplomatic outreach and the country’s growing fossil‑fuel footprint raises doubts about Australia’s climate leadership. For vulnerable island states, more emissions mean higher sea levels, more displacement, and a loss of trust in a partner that is supposed to help protect their security.

If Australia wants to keep its influence in the Pacific, it will need to align its energy policy with the climate priorities of its neighbours, not undermine them.