Australia talks up renewables but fuels climate critics
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson and John Kidman |
While Anthony Albanese insists Australia is pulling its weight on climate action, Energy Minister Chris Bowen has warned the world is facing crises on multiple fronts.
The two-pronged message has been delivered as a one-two punch by the nation’s most senior voices on climate change at the opening of the COP31 leaders’ summit in Turkey.
But neither acknowledged the elephant in the room when it comes to Australia’s position on global warming – the transition away from fossil fuels.
Critics including former Greens leader Adam Bandt, who is attending COP31 as chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation, said the federal government was focused on electrification rather than the more difficult task of phasing out non-renewable energy sources.
“Australia is playing our part,” the prime minister told the World Leaders Climate Action Summit segment of the United Nations event in Antalya.
“Our target is ambitious, our progress is strong and our successes are significant.”
Mr Albanese framed his address as a call to arms for world leaders to extend a lifeline to Pacific nations under threat from rising sea levels and extreme weather.
Australia is leading negotiations at the annual talks in Antalya, and Mr Bowen said its partnership with Turkey on COP31 linked the Mediterranean and Pacific regions as “custodians of the climate process”.
He also implored participants to enter a frank discourse on cost-of-living pressures, a global fuel security crisis and multiple wars and conflicts.
“It is no exaggeration to say the world is facing a polycrisis,” Mr Bowen said.
“Not challenges on one front, challenges on multiple fronts all at once and this is causing angst, confusion and anger around the world.”
Also speaking at the summit, outgoing United National Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said urgent action was required to address the subject neither Mr Albanese nor Mr Bowen touched on, a transition away from fossil fuels.
“That won’t happen on its own,” he warned.
“The dinosaurs did not have a lobby but fossil fuels do.
“That means no new coal, no new oil and gas infrastructure that puts 1.5 degrees further out of reach.”
Mr Bandt seized on those comments, calling them “a very significant intervention”, telling reporters Australia and other nations were being “called out” on the issue.
“We want to see Australia up on that stage saying that they’re not going to open up new coal and gas mines,” he said.
Mr Guterres’ call comes months after the UN warned the world was on track to surpass 1.5C of warming within a few years and should act to limit the severity and duration of the overshoot.
“Our first climate duty is to tell the truth and the brutal truth is that the climate crisis is outrunning us,” he said.
Greater investments in renewable energy including solar power could help nations move away from coal, oil and gas, Mr Guterres said.
“Fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs but that will not happen on its own.
“It’s time to kick the habit and end the fossil-fuel addiction.”
Mr Albanese also held a series of discussions with other world leaders at the event, including UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, with whom he spoke about working holidays visas under the nations’ free trade agreement.
He held bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Wednesday, followed by meetings with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday.
Their topics ranged from renewable energy projects and opportunities to the impact of the Middle East conflict on energy security.
Mr Albanese has sought to highlight Pacific nations’ needs at COP31, citing the plea of aspiring doctor, 13-year-old Melelusi Sokotia from Tuvalu, who told leaders at last month’s pre-COP event she and her peers wanted to remain safe in their island nation.
Mr Albanese called for nations to support the Pacific Resilience Facility, launched in 2025, designed to raise $726 million for climate change and adaption projects.
“We sought this (summit leading) role because we wanted to speak for the people of the world who need urgent action, including those from our Pacific family,” he said.
“Their brave, resourceful people need us to act and they’re pleading for us to do so, politely but with absolute clarity.”
AAP