Will Australia push for fossil fuel exit at UN talks?

Will Australia address coal and gas exports at COP31?

In its role as president of negotiations at the UN climate talks in Turkey, Australia is being pressured to guide nations toward unified action on slashing the greenhouse gas emissions that are generated in large part by burning fossil fuels .

The nation has pledged to lead by example at the summit through a strong commitment to renewable energy , electrification and reduced reliance on planet-heating coal, oil and gas.

"Renewable energy, grids, storage and electrification are creating opportunities to strengthen resilience, improve energy security, and reduce emissions at the same time," said Chris Bowen, Australia's climate change and energy minister, in October during a meeting in Fiji ahead of the COP climate conference.

"These are proven, commercial and scalable today. Now is the moment for faster implementation."

Yet Australia is also the world's third-largest exporter of fossil fuels. And unlike France and Germany , or island nations from Fiji to the Bahamas that are highly vulnerable to a changing climate , the COP31 co-president has not yet committed to phasing them out.

As calls grow for the country to set a clear route to a clean energy future, critics say its vague promise to transition away from polluting sources of power does not go far enough.

本文の著作権はDeutsche Welleにあります。