Extreme heat putting births in jeopardy, U.N. climate chief warns

Key Points:

• The U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell warned that extreme heat is increasingly linked to pregnancy complications such as premature births, stillbirths, and low birth weight, based on a survey of health professionals worldwide.
• Fiji and Tuvalu are hosting pre-COP31 climate talks to highlight the Pacific region's vulnerability to climate change, including rising sea levels and coral bleaching, ahead of the global summit in Turkey next month.
• Pacific leaders are urging developed countries to commit to climate finance and support a "just transition" for nations most affected by climate change, noting a significant funding gap between adaptation needs and available finance.
• Australia, as this year's climate negotiations chair and a major coal exporter, faces criticism from Pacific nations for expanding fossil fuel projects, though dialogue continues to seek common ground despite disagreements.
• The meetings emphasize the importance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to protect vulnerable island nations, with concerns over rising sea levels threatening displacement of up to 1.2 billion people by 2050, particularly in the Pacific.