Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have praised Australia's renewable power shift on the world stage on the same day a report warned limited supply could raise energy prices at home.
uncertain
supply → praise → home
On Wednesday, Bowen was joined by Albanese at the United Nations COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, which runs from November 9 to 20.
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which → join → 20
Bowen spent the day dodging Australian media before he sat down with British CNN journalist Becky Anderson to praise Labor's phasing out of fossil fuels.
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he → spend → fuels
'No new coal-fired power stations in Australia,' he said.
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he → fire → Australia
Later in the interview Bowen was pressed about whether there was any conflict in leading climate negotiations – he is co-President of COP31 – while Australia remained one of the world's biggest suppliers of coal burned by other countries.
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Australia → press → countries
There's a lot of countries that rely on our coal, both metallurgical and thermal,' he said.
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he → be → coal
The interview fell on the same day consultant Rystad Energy found the transition to renewable energy could see wholesale power prices in Australia nearly double by 2029.
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prices → fall → 2029
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen appeared on CNN at the COP31 climate summit to praise the fact Australia has no new coal-fired power stations, but didn't mention Australia is still among the biggest coal exporters in the world
Australia will not replace aging coal power stations.
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Australia → appear → stations
Pictured is Yallourn Power Station in Victoria which is set to close in 2028
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which → picture → 2028
During the CNN interview, Bowen promoted Labor's goal of converting 82 per cent of Australia's power to renewable sources by 2030 and said other nations needed to follow suit.
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nations → promote → suit
'We need to send the message to boardrooms around the world to keep investing because governments are going to keep on the journey,' he said.
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he → need → journey
'We also need to send the messages because in domestic politics, in pretty much every country, [there are] deniers and delayers.'
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We → need → country
Bowen was adamant Australia would reach its renewable target.
'So 82 per cent by 2030 is pretty ambitious from our point of view, up from 33 per cent in 2022.
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cent → reach → 2022
There's people in Australia who say it's impossible.
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it → be → Australia
I believe we can get there.'
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we → believe → ?
Earlier on Wednesday, Bowen had repeatedly dodged journalist Sophie Elsworth as she questioned him about Rystad's report.
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she → dodge → report
He'd given a curt answer: 'Engagement on matters of climate change is very important.
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Engagement → give → change
Rystad Energy on Wednesday forecast wholesale energy prices could nearly double by 2029 as the government withdraws support for coal power without sufficient renewable replacements
Rystad found wholesale power prices would likely rise as Labor was shutting support for coal power faster than it was funding replacement renewable projects.
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it → forecast → projects
It projected wholesale prices could rise from about $60 per megawatt hour to $110 as supply became limited.
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supply → project → 110
Household bills won't necessarily double, it said, as wholesale electricity is only part of what determines the final price, alongside network charges, retail costs and various other expenses.
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what → double → charges
But if wholesale prices did increase, at least some of the extra cost would be pushed onto households in the coming years.
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some → increase → years
In his speech to COP31, Albanese addressed supply concerns saying rooftop solar was leading the charge.
'
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solar → address → charge
In just six years,' he said, 'Australia has doubled its renewables generation, which now accounts for half our electricity mix.
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which → say → mix
'We proudly have one of the largest rooftop solar and battery markets in the world.
'More than 600,000 home batteries installed in the past year alone, something extraordinary for a nation of just 28-million people.'
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batteries → have → people
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is greeted on arrival at Antalya airport
Albanese told the conference 'Australia has doubled renewables generation' in six years
Scientists say global warming is likely to exceed 1.5C above preindustrial levels.
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warming → greet → levels
Limiting warming to that threshold was a goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement and remains a focus of international negotiations.
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Limiting → limit → negotiations
Leaders of some of the world´s biggest polluting nations, including the United States, China and India, skipped the summit at COP31.
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nations → pollute → COP31
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged world leaders who were there to act on climate change in an opening speech.
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who → urge → speech
We are in the fight for our lives and our children´s future,' he said.
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he → say → lives
Guterres outlined four principles for climate negotiations: ending reliance on fossil fuels, adapting to a warmer world, increasing financial support from wealthy nations to countries coping with climate change and promoting co-operation over conflict.
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Guterres → outline → conflict
The Aporia
