Australia seen in ‘new light’ at global climate talks

Sharm el-Sheikh: Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has been asked to co-chair fraught negotiations over financial payments to the developing world which must be resolved by the close of global climate talks in Egypt on Friday.

Bowen will co-facilitate the talks with his Indian counterpart, Environment and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, over the promise made by rich nations to channel $US100 billion ($148 billion) a year to the developing world by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further rises in temperature.

Christopher Bowen, minister of climate change and energy of Australia, speaks at the COP27 UN Climate Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.Credit: AP

The target was never met and the broken promise has added significant tension to climate negotiations. The Australian and Indian delegations will be responsible for laying the groundwork for how the world might update the commitment when it expires in 2025.

Financial negotiations over this issue and the calls for so-called Loss and Damage restitution have dominated the COP27 talks.

“Australia is back, we are back,” said Bowen at a function for Australians at the conference on Tuesday night, Sharm el-Sheikh time. “For the first time in a decade, we have been asked to lead negotiations.

“People are listening to Australia, and that is no small thing.”

Climate Change & Energy Minister Chris Bowen delivers Australia’s national statement to the plenary of the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.Credit: Hans van Leeuwen

Australia Institute climate lead Richie Merzian, who is at COP27 as an observer, said the request from the Egyptian presidency was a significant signal about changing attitudes to Australia due to the climate policies of the new government.

“Australia has not been given any responsibility to lead negotiations and facilitate an outcome for years. It shows that the world is seeing Australia in a new light as a constructive and honest broker willing to advocate for global interests,” he said.

“It won’t be easy co-facilitating with India which is traditionally a hard-line developing country advocate. India will push for an ambitious plan to extract as much as they can from developed countries.

Elsewhere at the conference, pressure ramped up on Australia for its continued support of fossil fuels.

Steelworks and coal loading facility in Port Kembla, Wollongong.Credit: Getty

Organisers of a pledge to end government finance for overseas fossil fuel ventures – adopted by many nations at last year’s talks in Glasgow – had expected Australia to agree to it in Egypt.

Though 34 countries and five public finance institutions have signed the agreement, known as the Glasgow Statement, which potentially cuts $US28 billion a year in international public finance out of the fossil fuel sector, Australia has not.

At a function celebrating the first anniversary of the agreement, British Climate Envoy John Murton told an audience that included diplomats and politicians from around the world: “If your country has not signed, and it is claiming to be a climate leader, then encourage them to sign.”

The Dutch Energy and Climate Minister, Rob Jetten, echoed the message, saying: “I would call upon everyone who has already signed, if you are having bilateral talks with a country that has not signed up, do not leave the room without asking them to sign.”

Australia is now a target of the campaign, said organiser Adam McGibbon, a strategist with a UK-based activist group Oil Change International.

“Australia is a key next candidate for the initiative,” he said. “Historically, it has not been a large provider of international public support for fossil fuel projects – providing an average of $US78 million per year in finance for fossil fuel projects between 2018 and 2020 through its export credit agency Export Finance Australia.”

But it is now the largest OECD country not to sign the Glasgow Statement, aside from Japan and Korea.

Campaigners believe that if Australia signed it would be easier to gain the support of Norway, before shifting focus to Japan and Korea.

Before the COP talks began, it had been anticipated that Australia would announce it was joining the agreement during the talks, but a spokeswoman for Bowen said on Tuesday night that it was unlikely to happen. This does not mean Australia may not sign up in future, she said.

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