Pacific Island elders say Anthony Albanese must cut emissions in exchange for support to host COP31

Anthony Albanese has been warned Pacific Island nations may not support his bid to host the world’s biggest climate summit.

Anthony Albanese takes a selfie with fellow leaders during last year’s Pacific Islands Forum in Suva. Picture: William West/AFP

A group of Pacific elders has demanded Australia urgently phase out coal and gas and honour commitments to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, warning Pacific Island nations to hold off supporting the Albanese government’s bid to host the world’s biggest climate summit.

Days before Anthony Albanese travels to the Cook Islands for next week’s Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Elders’ Voice – whose members include former prime ministers, presidents and ministers – hit out at the AUKUS agreement for “escalating geopolitical tensions” in their region and “undermining Pacific-led nuclear-free regionalism”.

There was also caution over the increase in loans to the Pacific.

As the Prime Minister moves to lock in support of Pacific nations for Australia’s bid to host COP31 in 2026, the group said: “We maintain our position that the endorsement of co-hosting Australia’s COP31 with the Pacific, be conditional on greater climate action and provision of greater new and additional climate finance.

“While we recognise that co-hosting would enhance the voices of small island states that have been consistently held back from opportunities on the global stage, we feel that this decision be postponed to a later (Pacific Islands) Forum meeting. This will allow the Pacific countries to arrive at a united position as well as give Australia time to demonstrate tangible climate action.”

The group, which includes former Tuvalu prime minister Enele Sopoaga, former Palau president Thomas Remengesau, former Kiribati president Anote Tong and former Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine, called on the government to “urgently honour Australia’s Paris Agreement commitments to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions”.

“We reiterate our calls for Australia to urgently phase out gas and coal and stop opening up new coal mining,” they said.

The former Pacific leaders also pushed for a loss and damage mechanism where countries that caused the “climate crisis” paid for the damage inflicted.

With regional security set to feature prominently at PIF, the group lashed AUKUS and Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

“We regret that the AUKUS agreement, and the proposed acquisition of Australia of nuclear-powered submarines, is escalating geopolitical tensions in our region and undermining Pacific-led nuclear-free regionalism. It presents a major challenge to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty,” the elders said.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen’s spokeswoman said Australia was committed to becoming a renewable energy superpower that exported clean energy to the world, including the Pacific.

“Climate change is having real impacts on the Pacific and the world – that’s why the Albanese government has legislated ambitious emissions reduction targets and reformed the safeguard mechanism to ensure Australia’s largest emitting facilities reduce their emissions,” she said.

“We are also working closely with the Pacific to accelerate renewables, reduce emissions and secure an outcome at COP28 that delivers for our region.”

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka last month said Pacific leaders were realistic in their demands and did not want Australia to stop its fossil fuel industry altogether but tone it down.

Defence Minister Richard Marles did not respond to a request for comment.