Fiji, Oct. 7 -- Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has challenged developed countries to match the Pacific's urgency on climate change, calling for faster climate finance and deeper emissions cuts to protect communities already facing rising seas and climate impacts.

Speaking at the Pacific Pre-COP31 Leaders' Plenary in Denarau, Brown said Pacific countries were not waiting for international assistance but were already developing their own solutions and investing in climate resilience.

"Climate change has been given its power and ferocity by high emissions, forcing an entire region to change with urgency.

"Today we ask the same urgency of our partners, because urgency is a two-way street," Brown said.

Brown spoke after Pacific lea...