Source : Perth Now news
Australia’s climate credentials will face renewed scrutiny at an international summit in Fiji as the federal government considers approval for a major coal mine expansion.
The pre-COP31 summit begins on Monday ahead of the headline United Nations’ Conference of the Parties meeting in Turkey in November.
Ministers and participants from more than 50 nations have confirmed their attendance at the four-day event, which is part of an Australia-negotiated compromise after Canberra failed in its bid to host the world’s biggest annual climate change talks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the summit, which will feature representatives from the World Bank and the United Nations, as well as speakers such as former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
But Australia’s climate record has been questioned by some Pacific leaders, who point to its ongoing expansion of fossil fuel exports as their nations face rising sea levels.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen defended Australia’s approach and said he would highlight the nation’s progress on renewable energy generation.
“The way you transition away from fossil fuels is by building renewable energy here in Australia and overseas,” he said.
“When I have conversations with my ministerial colleagues, whether they be from the Pacific or elsewhere… people understand that.”
The Greens have called on Labor to reject the expansion of a major coal mine ahead of the November climate summit to “claw back any shred of credibility” it had on the issue.
The Hunter Valley Operations project, which would extend coal mining in NSW until 2045, is waiting for federal approval after the NSW Independent Planning Commission gave its go-ahead on Wednesday.
The Australia Institute and Australian Conservation Foundation placed a full-page advertisement in the Fiji Times, apologising to Pacific islands for the coal mine expansion and calling it a “betrayal”.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s COP31 lead Simon Bradshaw said Australia had a track record of acknowledging climate change without addressing fossil fuels as a key cause.
“We cannot help decarbonise the world without action at home to halt fossil fuel approvals and phase out coal and gas exports,” he said.
An exceptionally hot European summer and fears of the impact from a powerful El Niño weather cycle, which is characterised by warm ocean temperatures, could add to the sense of urgency at the climate meetings.
Countries such as Fiji and Tuvalu contribute a tiny fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions but face some of the most severe consequences of climate change, including rising seas, extreme heat, droughts and saltwater intrusion.
Amnesty International secretary-general Agnès Callamard said world leaders must listen to Pacific communities at the pre-COP event and act.
“Concern without action will not hold back the tide,” she said.
