The Kiribati government is optimistic agreement can be achieved on issues such as funding for climate change adaptation at an international conference it'll be hosting next month, but it says it can't say the same for the United Nations conference in December.
Representatives from China, Canada, India, the United States, Britain, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and most Pacific Island countries have confirmed they will attend the Tarawa climate change conference.
A senior policy advisor in the Kiribati President's office, Andrew Teem, says it will focus on consolidating a common position on achievable goals such as funding.
But he says it's unclear whether that will be adopted at the UN conference in Cancun.
"That is a very difficult question to answer, that will depend really on the conference itself in Mexico. What I am optimistic about is the Tarawa climate conference will be able to get enough consensus on issues that we think are mature enough for agreement."
Andrew Teem says delegates in Tarawa will see firsthand the effects of climate change.