Anthony Albanese wages climate change offensive as Pacific leaders make fossil fuel demands during COP31 bid

Anthony Albanese is waging a climate change charm offensive in the Cook Islands as Pacific leaders endorse stronger action on emissions reduction.

Anthony Albanese with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown after arriving in the island nation on Wednesday. Picture: X

Anthony Albanese is waging a ­climate change charm offensive in the Cook Islands as Pacific leaders demand Australia “assist” in reducing reliance on fossil fuel and endorse stronger action on emissions reduction.

Attempting to send a message to the Pacific that Australia is keenly focused on the region and its people, the Prime Minister flew from Beijing to Rarotonga on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) for his second Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting, where stronger climate change action and geostrategic issues are set to feature prominently.

As Mr Albanese tries to lock in support for his government’s bid to co-host COP31 with the Pacific, he told Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano that Australia understood his country was “on the frontline of climate change”.

“The impact is certainly felt most acutely in island states such as Tuvalu,” Mr Albanese said after touching down for his first trip to the Cook Islands.

“My government of course was elected with a platform of taking action on climate change and I look forward to working with you in the interests of both of our respectful countries but also in the interests of the globe.”

Mr Natano, who warned that his country would be under water if the status quo continued, said Tuvalu was working with ­Australia on curbing coal and gas projects.

“We are working with Australia to see that we … can get them to assist because fossil fuel is the main contributor to global warming,” Mr Natano said after the meeting.

He signalled support for the Albanese government’s bid to co-host COP31 in 2026 despite ­former Pacific leaders and some Pacific ministers pushing Australia to commit to phasing out fossil fuel and ending subsidies for coal and gas projects in exchange for the region’s support.

In a meeting with Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, whose country switched allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2019, Mr Albanese said Australia was committed to delivering on the Pacific nation’s priorities, including supporting its acquisition of a second Guardian-class patrol boat and improvements to the “very important” Kanton Wharf.

“I know that our community links and people-to-people links are also continuing through ­programs like the Pacific Labour ­Mobility program and I also think that during this week no doubt we’ll have discussions about ­climate change,” the Prime Minister said.

“My government’s very committed to action on climate change. We have a comprehensive plan that we have put in place to deal with our own emissions but also to provide support for global activity as well.”

Amid calls for Australia to be more ambitious in its climate policies and with its climate funding, Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu cautioned that the Albanese government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions “still falls short of what they promised by signing the Paris Agreement”.

In an opinion piece published in Climate Home News before the forum leaders’ meeting, he said Pacific island nations’ ability to adapt would be “made impossible by Australia’s hypocritical gas expansion plans”.

Mr Regenvanu, who is representing Vanuatu at this week’s meeting, has raised expectations that Australia will sign up to the Pacific’s “greatest ask” of a fossil fuel phase-out, even though Foreign Minister Penny Wong has noted Australia’s economy is dependent on resources.

Strategic Analysis Australia director Michael Shoebridge said Mr Albanese’s trip to the Cook ­Islands, which follows his travel to the US and China, was powerful in its symbolism.

“The fact he’s turning up for his second PIF leaders’ meeting and having a series of bilateral meetings is a good statement at the top level of the Australian government that the South ­Pacific leaders and people have our attention and they know that,” Mr Shoebridge said.

“I do think he does have some mixed messages.

“The big security push by China into the South ­Pacific is all bad news for Pacific island states, their people and for Australia but it looks like it’s all back to the friendship with Beijing.

“How does he maintain the very rational concern about China’s growing push into the ­Pacific while looking like it’s all behind us now?”

Kiribati had been “far more open to Chinese presence than seems healthy for a small island state”, Mr Shoebridge added, stressing this was where Mr Albanese had “real work to do”.

Pacific leaders will on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) head to Aitutaki for an overnight retreat. Mr Albanese gave Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who is hosting this year’s forum, a South Sydney Rabbitohs jersey to thank him for the country’s hospitality.