Antalya, Turkey: The head of the United Nations is pushing countries to step up their climate commitments and fully phase out fossil fuels, urging more ambition at this year’s global climate conference than Turkey and Australia’s focus on electrification.
Outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres’s comments came before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the COP31 leaders’ summit in Antalya, where Energy Minister Chris Bowen is presiding over negotiations , that Australia was playing its part as a renewable energy and climate action leader.
“This is an historic moment for my country. Australia is proud to be playing a leading role with Turkey on climate change negotiations for the world at this United Nations Conference of the Parties … and proud to be here fighting for the interests of our Pacific family,” Albanese said on Wednesday (local time).
“COP31 must be where our cooperation delivers practical results. Unlocking investment in clean energy technologies, accelerating electrification, speeding up action for our oceans, and unlocking climate finance for those who need it most.”
But Guterres, who is making his last addresses to a major UN event before the end of his term next month, appeared to signal to Australia and Turkey that it was not enough.
“It is long past time to stop treating the transition away from fossil fuels as taboo or intractable. Now, here at COP31, we must move from discussing the transition to organising it, financing it and delivering it. I thank [Brazil] for its leadership. We must leave Antalya with clear next steps to advance this road map,” he said on Tuesday.
“I encourage the current and future COP presidencies to carry this work forward. We must give the world reason to believe in the commitment made in Dubai to transition away from fossil fuels.”
Bowen and COP31 president Turkish Climate Minister Murat Kurum are calling on more than 190 nations to rapidly ramp up electrification rather than focus on fossil fuels, in the hopes of sidestepping a bitter fight at this year’s conference.
Guterres reinforced his message in a second speech on Wednesday by saying “fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs”. He said the case for fossil fuels was collapsing as global conflicts created price shocks and insecurity for three-quarters of the world’s population living in countries that import coal, oil and gas.
“That [eliminating fossil fuels] won’t happen on its own. The dinosaurs did not have a lobby, but fossil fuels do,” he said.
“That means no new coal. No new oil and gas infrastructure that puts 1.5 degrees further out of reach. Slashing methane emissions … and those who profit most from fossil fuels must help foot the bill for the damage they have caused.
“It’s time for governments to tax these windfall profits – and use them to help vulnerable countries recover. Polluters must pay.”
Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Adam Bandt, the former Greens leader who is at the conference, said the comments could be read as criticism of Australia, which has focused on electrification in lieu of pursuing the more diplomatically difficult task of securing agreement to specifically target fossil fuels.
“In a very significant intervention, the UN secretary-general and last year’s COP president Brazil have put coal, oil and gas squarely on the agenda here in Turkey. They’re saying it’s not enough to talk about renewables and electrification if you’re also opening new coal and gas mines,” Bandt said.
“Australia is getting called out. The bar is now set for this summit and Australia and Turkey must deliver a concrete road map for getting out of coal and gas.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the discovery of two new oil fields on the eve of this year’s conference in Antalya. Australia has also faced criticism from climate activists and some Pacific leaders for its continued exports of fossil fuels and the expansion of coal and gas extraction.
As Bowen prepared to leave for Turkey last week, a group of 500 climate scientists and experts distributed an open letter to Albanese, saying Australia “cannot credibly lead on climate abroad nor ensure national nor regional security while it expands coal and gas at home”.
At the same time, the Coalition and One Nation have relentlessly attacked the government over its net zero policies and spending of taxpayer money on Bowen’s role as president of negotiations.
Albanese quoted 13-year-old Tuvalu school student Melelusi Sokotia as he advocated on behalf of Pacific nations on Wednesday, while promoting Australia’s record.
“Australia is playing our part. Our target is ambitious. Our progress is strong. And our successes are significant,” he said.
“In just six years, Australia has doubled renewables generation, which now accounts for half our electricity mix. We proudly have one of the largest rooftop solar and battery markets in the world, [with] more than 600,000 home batteries installed in the past year alone.”
In response to Albanese’s address, Nicki Hutley from the Climate Council said electrification was the right plan, and Australians were backing it by taking up rooftop solar and electric cars.
“But building renewables while approving new coal and gas is like filling the bath with the plug pulled out,” she said.
“The Prime Minister is right that our Pacific neighbours are asking for help, and they’ve been clear that means cutting climate pollution from coal, oil and gas.”
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