Nuku’alofa | Australia is being urged to boost spending on poor countries to mitigate global warming, despite the Albanese government already committing a fifth of the money for the Pacific’s flagship $US500 million ($737 million) climate fund.

As Anthony Albanese joined fellow leaders in Tonga on Tuesday for the Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific nations, the United Nations and non-government organisations were ramping up demands to help developing nations on the front line of rising sea levels and more volatile weather.