Leaders went into a retreat to discuss the final wording of the Funafuti Declaration, which some nations are demanding should include limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees and more international investment in the United Nation's Green Climate Fund. Mr Morrison told leaders his government had overseen record investment in renewable energy. Loading Sources said Samoan prime minster Tuilaepa Malielegaoi at one stage requested a one-page fact sheet on Australia's current climate policies because he was "unaware" of the government's achievements and had "only been relying on media reporting". Mr Morrison also spoke about environment security in the Pacific, sustainable fishing, oceans and borders, economic security and "cultural security".

Some nations have softened their demands on other forum partners on Thursday morning for the sake of a unified statement, with Australia also succeeding in its push to not have the term "climate change crisis" in the communique. It's understood member nations will agree to "reflect on" the UN secretary general's call for no new coal and an end to fossil fuel subsidies, rather than endorsing it, which small island leaders declared they wanted earlier this week. New Zealand's foreign minister Winston Peters moved on Thursday morning to take the heat out of Jacinda Ardern's challenge to Australia on climate change, saying Pacific nations seeking Chinese investment should remember it comes on the back of "coal-fired everything". Winston Peters, right, has taken the heat off Australia put on by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and asked leaders to question China's emissions. Credit:AP The NZ deputy PM said calls for Australia to step-up on climate change were a "bit of a paradox" because many Pacific were not openly challenge China's emission levels.

The New Zealand prime minister said on Wednesday every nation needed to "do its bit" in the fight against climate change, and Australia would have to "answer to the Pacific" for its own role. Speaking on ABC radio on Thursday morning, Mr Peters, who is the Deputy Prime Minister in coalition with Ms Ardern's Labour Party, said there was "a big picture we have to contemplate" to act with consistency and integrity. Loading He said while island nations were worried about their long-term future amid rising sea levels and more fierce weather events, China's high emissions also had to be part of the conversation. "You need to look at everybody, not just Australia, but also who is getting that coal and what things they are doing with it," Mr Peters said.

"What I'm sadly hearing is variations on a theme... that they're all attacking the Australian Prime Minister or that they've all taken the view, including New Zealand's prime minister, that the Australians are somehow acting incorrectly when that is not the proper picture or the real picture at all." Australia has pushed backed on attempts from smaller island states to include a strong statement urging the world to speed up its transition away from coal towards renewable energy. Mr Peters said leaders meeting in Tuvalu must "look at all the details" and defended Australia's stance on climate change. He said the island countries should remember Australia was a "great neighbour" to the Pacific. "They should remember who has been their long-term and short-term friends," he said.