Australia has come to COP31 seeking to establish itself as a serious global climate player, with the Pacific at the centre of its diplomatic ambitions.
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Pacific → come → ambitions
But its efforts at this week's UN climate change conference here in Türkiye are exposing the contradictions in current climate politics, both internationally and at home.
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efforts → expose → home
The Albanese government is trying to demonstrate leadership without making promises it cannot deliver, particularly on fossil fuels.
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it → try → fuels
That pragmatism has defenders, but it also leaves Australia vulnerable to accusations that it is avoiding the most difficult questions.
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it → have → questions
Meanwhile, the Coalition's attacks on the cost of the summit illustrate how far removed the domestic political debate can be from the geopolitical stakes.
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debate → illustrate → stakes
In his opening address at the leaders' summit in the Turkish city of Antalya, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered what he intended as a rallying call to assist the likes of Tuvalu and other Pacific nations, for whom climate change is an acute, existential threat.
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change → open → whom
The reception from the country officials in the plenary session was polite, if not a little indifferent, from those sitting toward the back of the room in view of the media.
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reception → sit → media
That's not to say Australia isn't achieving its core aim of raising up Pacific voices to a level not previously experienced at this summit, but with more time spent on spruiking home batteries than the perils of coal and gas, it felt a little flat.
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it → say → coal
It didn't help that Albanese spoke after António Guterres, who used his final COP speech as United Nations secretary-general to deliver a blistering rebuke of those who continue to develop, and fail to adequately tax, fossil fuel projects.
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who → help → projects
Guterres did not explicitly name Australia, or COP31 host Türkiye, but both have come under scrutiny from climate activists for their continued roles in the energy resources industry.
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both → name → industry
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who is steering this year's talks as president of negotiations, told this column the comments by Guterres reflected a long-held view, and he did not believe they were aimed at any one country.
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they → steer → country
Bowen and Albanese have repeatedly defended the government's climate stance in the face of accusations of hypocrisy, arguing Australia is doing its part with an emphasis on not just sustainable, but reliable and affordable energy.
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Australia → defend → energy
Spotlight on the Pacific
Even if that approach doesn't satisfy those pushing for greater climate ambition, it's clear Labor is having success on another international front.
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Labor → spotlight → front
By seeking to put the Pacific at the heart of the negotiations, Australia hopes to strengthen its standing in a strategically important region.
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Australia → seek → region
Albanese continually shared the stage with his Pacific counterparts and was rewarded when they defended Australia's role at the summit.
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they → share → summit
"By ourselves, the small islands sometimes are not heard," Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said.
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Jr → hear → ourselves
At a fireside chat on the sidelines of COP, former California governor Gavin Newsom said it was now a "strategic imperative" that countries "change the way we produce and consume energy".
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we → say → energy
He said China, despite remaining a major emitter, was well ahead of the US in this regard.
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China → say → regard
"They're cleaning our clocks," he said.
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he → clean → clocks
Newsom was particularly talking about how exposed most economies are to shocks in the fossil fuel supply chain.
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economies → talk → chain
Speaking from his office ensconced in the depths of a winding maze of temporary walls fitting out the cavernous buildings housing COP31, Bowen agreed.
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Bowen → speak → COP31
He said the Middle East war and subsequent oil crisis has sharpened the case for electrification and renewables, even among countries where tackling climate is not specifically a high priority.
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tackling → say → climate
The electrification push
Yet, Bowen has been pragmatic about the chances of a late push at the summit to put a global road map for transitioning away from fossil fuels on the agenda.
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Bowen → put → agenda
Brazil failed to secure consensus on the issue at last year's COP and has now vowed to go it alone, joining more than a dozen countries who have unveiled their own voluntary plans.
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who → fail → plans
Bowen was careful not to pre-empt next week's negotiations, but he has focused on defending a staged transition.
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he → pre → transition
He's argued that even electrification not entirely powered by renewables can represent progress.
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electrification → argue → progress
The anger among advocates is understandable, particularly given the gap between current trajectories and climate targets.
But there's a paradox in criticising a summit for focusing on implementation, when countries are already struggling to meet their existing commitments.
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countries → give → commitments
At the same time, implementation is not itself an excuse to abandon stronger commitments.
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implementation → abandon → commitments
Against this international backdrop, the Coalition is attacking a $32,000 coffee cart at Australia's pavilion.
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Coalition → attack → pavilion
It is a revealing example of how the political argument about climate change shifts once it returns home, where cost-of-living pressure gives attacks on government spending greater potency.
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pressure → shift → potency
Yes, as Bowen has sharply argued, there is hypocrisy in Opposition leader Angus Taylor criticising the free flat whites, given the scheme was introduced when he was energy minister.
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he → argue → whites
But Taylor has said the current economic circumstances mean what was OK before, including a prime minister simply travelling to COP, is not acceptable now.
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minister → say → COP
It's pure politics, of course — the money spent on Australia's attendance at the summit is negligible in the broader context of the country's diplomatic efforts — but it has gained traction with disaffected voters.
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it → spend → voters
A near-constant refrain among Australians currently in Antalya is how grateful most Labor MPs must be that the government lost its bid to host COP31 in Adelaide.
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government → lose → Adelaide
The coffee cart bill would pale in comparison to the cost of the police and officials, the nightmare traffic and all the other minor inconveniences that come with inviting world leaders to your doorstep.
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that → pale → doorstep
And if Türkiye hadn't won, the world would never know of the certified banger theme tune "Let's COP" (short for 'let's change our planet') — so perhaps all is as it was meant to be.
Labor has tried to occupy a middle ground between the demands of climate advocates and the opposition's domestic political attacks.
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Labor → win → advocates
There is no hope of the government pleasing both sides, which means the test is whether its pragmatic approach can deliver enough tangible progress to justify the leadership role it is claiming.
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it → be → role
The Aporia
