Foreign Correspondent: Craig Hansen
The Prime Minister has responded to criticisms regarding the upcoming climate summit for global leaders organized by the federal government, scheduled to take place next month.
This statement follows a United Nations report indicating that the world is unlikely to limit global warming to below 1.8 degrees Celsius.
The Pre-COP event is set to take place in Fiji and Tuvalu in early October, leading into COP31, which is slated for November.
In light of warnings from a UN report that the planet is on course to exceed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold within five years, the Prime Minister defended the anticipated participation of leaders at this significant climate gathering in the Pacific Islands.
The Australian government had initially aimed to have world leaders attend the pre-COP meeting next month, prior to the main climate negotiations in Türkiye in November.
Fiji and Tuvalu have agreed to host the preparatory event as a compromise following Australia’s unsuccessful attempt to hold COP31, the largest annual climate summit globally.
Reports indicated that Australia faced challenges in persuading leaders from outside the Pacific region to attend this special meeting in Tuvalu, until Fiji’s Foreign Minister, Sakiasi Ditoka, provided the first public details regarding attendees.
According to him, leaders from Antigua and Barbuda, Cabo Verde, Thailand, the Maldives, and Timor-Leste have confirmed their attendance, while Germany, Mexico, and South Korea plan to send ministers.
When asked about the attendance at the pre-COP during a media briefing at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that the government had always expected the pre-COP event would not draw the same level of attendance as COP itself.
“The choice to hold the pre-COP in Fiji, with an additional visit to Tuvalu, is highly beneficial as it will highlight the challenges faced in the Pacific,” he remarked.
He also stressed the importance of addressing climate change seriously as a prerequisite for credibility in the Pacific Islands Forum and for engaging in bilateral relations in the region.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister expressed frustration at the tone of the inquiries posed by journalists. “Your approach disrespects the Pacific leaders present here,” he stated. “We must show respect for the process and for our Pacific leaders, as Australia has a vested interest in collaborating with the Pacific.”
The government has framed the pre-COP as an essential opportunity to demonstrate to leaders the dangers that climate change presents to low-lying island nations in the Pacific, aiming to galvanize more robust global action against climate change.
However, the participating nations are not regarded as major contributors to global pollution, nor do they require reminders of the threats climate change poses to vulnerable regions.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen referred to the pre-COP as a “key opportunity” for the Pacific. “The Pacific expressed a desire to invite some leaders, and we have accommodated that request,” he stated. “Tuvalu, being a small nation, has limited capacity to host attendees, but this meeting is crucial for bringing together Prime Ministers, heads of multilateral development banks, and cabinet ministers who typically do not attend pre-COP events.”
As climate risks escalate for Pacific nations, a pivotal UN report has warned that the world is likely to surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming by 2030. The report indicates that a peak temperature rise of 1.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is now considered the best-case scenario, while also outlining the necessary actions to revert back to the 1.5 degrees Celsius target after exceeding it.
Countries are striving to maintain global temperature increases well below 2 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement, a binding international treaty addressing climate change that aims to “pursue efforts” to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
This target was established because the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that surpassing this threshold could trigger much more severe impacts from climate change.
Chair of the Climate Change Authority, Matt Kean, underscored the urgent need for climate action despite the anticipated surpassing of the 1.5 degrees Celsius target. “Every fraction of a degree we manage to limit global warming will mitigate risks and costs,” he stated. “It is vital for Australia and the global community to curtail warming; the economic repercussions will be dire if we do not act, and the threats to lives and livelihoods will be severe.” He concluded with a clear message: “We must accelerate our efforts to reduce emissions.”
According to Malte Meinshausen, a climate science professor at the University of Melbourne, the energy transition has made some of the worst-case scenarios previously predicted less likely. However, he cautioned that failing to swiftly cut global emissions has rendered the optimal scenario of limiting warming to just above 1.5 degrees Celsius unattainable. “Compared to our options five years ago, the new pathways are more expensive, accompanied by increased natural disasters and the necessity to remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere,” Professor Meinshausen explained. “Acting now remains the more cost-effective approach, allowing us to potentially achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target in the long run.”
During discussions at the Pacific Islands Forum, Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s Climate Change Adaptation and Energy Minister, criticized Australia for not doing enough to decrease carbon emissions. “Australia is a significant producer of fossil fuels, which are the primary cause of the climate crisis,” he remarked. “At the very least, a country like Australia should cease future expansions in fossil fuel production, yet that is not happening. It is essential to halt expansion and begin transitioning away from fossil fuels.” His comments followed a day after Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King inaugurated a project aimed at supplying gas.
