The Prime Minister of the small Pacific island nation of Tuvalu has compared climate change to a weapon of mass destruction, and warned Australia not to stand in the way of a new global agreement.

Enele Sopoaga says his country and many other low-lying Pacific nations are facing serious threats from global warming.

Mr Sopoaga says he'll be making his position clear when he co-chairs a UN climate change summit in New York next month.

Sorry, this audio has expired Enele Sopoaga speaks with Pacific Beat ( Richard Ewart )

"We are caught in the middle, and certainly in Tuvalu, we are very, very worried - we are already suffering," he said.

"It's already like a weapon of mass destruction, and the indications are all there.

"We only need to garner strong, collective leadership - we simply are going to again underscore the message that we are dying."

Mr Sopoaga says countries have to move beyond questions of political sovereignty to address the realities in his country.

Enele Sopoaga says Tuvalu and many other low-lying Pacific nations are facing serious threats from global warming. ( Oxfam: Rodney Dekker )

The UN Secretary-General has convened the climate summit in New York in a bid to mobilise political will for a meaningful legal agreement in 2015.

Next year's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris has the objective of reaching a legally binding and universal agreement on climate.

"This is no longer to do with political sovereignty - this is threatening human beings, and we need to bring this into perspective," he said.

"We are not dealing with sovereignties any more - there are no boundaries to the effects of climate change.

"We are dealing with saving human lives - and therefore saving Tuvalu is also saving the world."

Mr Sopoaga is the latest Pacific leader to criticise Australia's approach to climate change.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has flagged he wants to forge an alliance of like-minded centre-right governments to resist global moves towards carbon pricing, and in favour of more 'direct action' measures.

Fiji's interim prime minister Frank Bainimarama has singled out Australia for failing to adequately address climate change, while Palau was also critical ahead of last month's Pacific Islands Forum.

Kiribati's President Anote Tong and Marshall Islands President Christopher Loeak have also urged the global community to act before it is too late.

Mr Sopoaga says Australia and other countries should not stand in the way of reaching an international agreement.

"They can stay out," he said.

"If they decide not to be part of the pact, that's their own decision - but we are already seeing a lot of damages, a lot of destruction to the islands."

"And if that is the case with Australia, that's their own decision - but that should not stop the world - the willing - to go forward."