Anthony Albanese has rushed to put his climate change credentials on the world stage in Japan but this was no Bali moment, like the rapturous applause that greeted Kevin Rudd’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol immediately after taking office in 2007.
Albanese has instead found a more world-weary gathering focused on security in our region and struggling to turn their own climate plans into action.
US President Joe Biden has been frustrated on his climate agenda and is facing political headwinds from rising petrol prices and unreliable electricity across multiple states.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stonewalled global demands that he pledge his nation to ending coal use, instead pushing ahead with the construction of new coalmines and power stations. Japan continues to be the second-largest funder of coal power projects in other countries, after China.
The official communique issued after the Quad meeting “welcomed the new Australian government’s commitment to stronger action on climate change, including through passing legislation to achieve net zero by 2050 and lodging a new, ambitious nationally determined contribution”. This is a reference to Labor’s plan for cuts to greenhouse gases of 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.
The new initiative at the meeting was the Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) which is focused on “mitigation” and “adaptation”. Projects include green shipping, clean energy and hydrogen, and reducing methane emissions.
The real climate meat of the dialogue was the promise to deepen engagement with Pacific Island nations on the issue. Australia will host a Sydney Energy Forum in June as part of its commitment to support the transition to affordable and reliable clean energy in the Indo-Pacific. This puts climate change action at the centre of the Albanese government’s ambitions to strengthen ties with Pacific nations and counter China’s efforts to build a security presence in the region.
Albanese got a friendly welcome at the Quad. But for a climate “moment” he will have to wait until this year’s climate conference in Egypt where Australia will be bidding to host a global UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting of its own in 2023.
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