‘Can’t be everywhere at once’: Albanese defends decision to skip global climate talks

Anthony Albanese has defended his decision to snub a big event after criticising Scott Morrison over the same thing.

Anthony Albanese has defended his decision to skip the next round of global climate talks, saying he “can’t be everywhere at once”.

The Prime Minister is bidding to host the 2024 UN climate summit, but has turned down an invitation from the Egyptian President to attend next week’s COP27 conference in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The COP27 leaders’ summit will take place when parliament is sitting in Australia and Mr Albanese is also preparing for a string of other overseas conferences, including the G20 in Bali and the APEC summit in Bangkok.

“I have a very busy schedule of parliament, then the international conferences, then back to parliament again,” Mr Albanese told reporters on Wednesday.

Mr Albanese said COP27 would be focused on the “implementation” of existing commitments rather than the making of new ones, in contrast to last year’s meeting in Glasgow.

He said he would stay in Australia to legislate his government’s first federal budget and other policies, including on climate change, during the final parliamentary sitting weeks of the year.

“I can’t be in all places at once. It’s as simple as that. If we could do that, then I’d achieve it,” he said.

“I’m sure that if I was going, people would say, ‘Why aren’t I attending parliament?’.”

Anthony Albanese has defended his decision to skip the COP27 conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

Mr Albanese previously criticised Scott Morrison for his indecision over whether to attend COP26 in Glasgow last November, saying at the time it would be “tragic” if Australia wasn’t represented.

The former prime minister came under significant public pressure to take part in COP26 and eventually agreed to attend the event.

Mr Morrison flew to Glasgow straight from the G20 summit in Rome, where he formally committed Australia to net-zero emissions by 2050 after months of wavering over the policy

Mr Albanese claimed on Wednesday that his criticism of his predecessor had been about the Morrison government’s failure to “commit to anything new” in Glasgow.

“The Glasgow conference was about increased contributions (towards greenhouse gas reduction targets) for 2030,” Mr Albanese said.

“The former government failed to do that and it probably would have been better off if they hadn’t gone at all.”

The Morrison government wouldn’t lift its 2030 target any higher than a 26 to 28 per cent reduction in emissions on 2005 levels.

In Mr Albanese’s absence, the federal government will be represented at COP27 by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, and assistant minister Jenny McAllister.

Originally published as ‘Can’t be everywhere at once’: Albanese defends decision to skip global climate talks