Palau's president has urged Australia to increase its action on reducing emissions ahead of a bipartisan delegation visiting the Pacific nation.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Pacific Minister Pat Conroy along with coalition counterparts Simon Birmingham and Michael McCormack will visit Palau this week, one of three nations the group will travel to on the trip.
The delegation arrived in Vanuatu and will head to Palau before also heading to Micronesia.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said that while he applauded Australia's actions in increasing its emissions reduction target to 43 per cent by the end of the decade, he wanted to see it go further.
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"We would like to see 50 per cent reduction by 2030. That's what the Pacific called for ... going from 30 per cent to 43 per cent is a big step in the right direction," he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
"We expect leadership, we expect commitment, and the understanding that we are going under, we have islands that will disappear if we don't raise those ambitions and keep below 1.5 (degrees)."
Regional security is also expected to be a big part of the agenda during the visit to Palau after China sought to set up security pacts with multiple Pacific nations.
Mr Whipps said economic coercion should not be used to influence policies, despite indicating there had been pressure from China.
"There's a lot of Chinese investment in Palau. I think they're the number one foreign investor now. This changes the political dynamic," he said.
"There's been pressure on us to switch to China and Palau has been strong and saying that we are enemies to none and friends to all and no one should tell us who our friends should be."
Mr Conroy said while there was competition in the region, it was critical for Pacific nations to be able to work together.
"In Australia, the nations and governments of the Pacific and the people of the Pacific will always have an enduring partner, no matter who is in power, and we are committed to advancing peace and prosperity in the Pacific," he told ABC TV on Tuesday.
"One of the key findings for the Pacific Islands Forum was that Pacific nations should look to the Pacific family first for the security needs and Australia is a proud member of the Pacific family."
Australia and Vanuatu signed a new bilateral security pact on Tuesday during the second day of the trip, but details were not immediately available.
The delegation will take part in a handover for a new wharf and police boat.
The wharf was built as part of Australia's Pacific maritime security program.
Australian Associated Press
