Climate Minister, O’Brien in war of words on COP31 costing details

The Coalition wants Labor to release figures around the cost of hosting the United Nations climate summit in 2026, after Chris Bowen said agreements had come at ‘zero cost’ to Australians.

Opposition climate and energy spokesman Ted O'Brien. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

The Coalition is demanding Labor release figures around the cost of hosting the United Nations climate summit in 2026, after Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed agreements committed to over the weekend at COP29 had come at “zero cost” to Australians.

Labor has so far failed to secure its bid to have COP31 take place in Australia and surrounding Pacific Islands, as Turkey refuses to drop out of the running to host the international event.

Despite hopes an announcement would be made at COP29 in Azerbaijan, the final decision has been put off until next year.

Opposition climate change and energy spokesman Ted O’Brien refused to say whether the Coalition would back Labor’s pursuit to host COP31, but demanded the government be clear with the Australian people about how much hosting the climate summit would cost taxpayers.

Mr O’Brien said: “When it comes to their ambitions to host COP, just be upfront, just be honest so all Australians, including the opposition, can see the truth behind their plan.”

Mr Bowen hit back, accusing Peter Dutton of failing to provide costings for “his own coal power extension plan that masquerades as a nuclear scheme”.

“The government calls on them to release the full costing of their energy plans this week,” Mr Bowen said.

“Climate change is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the people of the Pacific.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen speaks during question time at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday. Picture: David Beach/NewsWire

Mr O’Brien, the member for Fairfax, also pressed the government in parliament over how much it had spend this month in the wake of the last COP meeting, pointing to the $50m contribution to the loss and damage fund and $125m to support renewable energy initiatives in the Pacific.

“Australia will become the sixth-largest contributor to the fund for responding to loss and damage,” Mr Bowen said in his address in Baku last week.

But in the face of scrutiny from the opposition over the financial commitments the government had made, Mr Bowen said such funding was not part of any COP agreement and that Labor had committed no extra funding as part of the climate summit.

“Last week, the government was requested by other governments to enter into certain agreements and arrangements, which we did agree to,” he said.

“We joined, for example, the global energy and storage pledge, which is a very good thing to do. We joined the call for no new coal at the request of and suggestion of the United Kingdom government, and we signed the Australia-UK climate and energy partnership.

“We work with governments across the board on renewable energy, agreements those opposite could not enter into, and the member for Fairfax implies there was a cost – there was zero cost.”