The Albanese government will need to produce an ambitious near-term emissions reduction target before September if its plans to host a major UN climate summit in Adelaide in 2026 are to be taken seriously by key international counterparts, climate policy experts say.

As a signatory to the Paris climate agreement, Australia is required to declare its 2035 emissions reduction target before this year’s Conference of the Parties meeting in Brazil in November. However, as one of two countries bidding to host the 2026 summit, alongside Turkey, it must also convince its international counterparts of its climate bona fides.