Pacific Islands Forum: Leaders to push Anthony Albanese for greater climate action

It comes as Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who’s chairing PIF, took a swipe at AUKUS.

Anthony Albanese receives a garland at the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva in 2022. Picture: AFP

Pacific Island countries will push Australia to increase climate funding and commit to more ambitious climate policies, with expectations Anthony Albanese will want to lock in regional support for his government’s bid to host COP31 at this week’s meeting of Pacific leaders.

The pressure on the Prime Minister to deliver stronger climate commitments comes as Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, chairman of this year’s Pacific Islands Forum, said the call for decarbonisation was more urgent from small island states facing everyday threats of climate change.

Mr Albanese will hold bilateral meetings with Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Kiribati President Taneti Maamau and Mr Brown after landing in Rarotonga on Wednesday (AEDT).

Tuvalu is one of the few Pacific Island nations to remain allies with Taiwan, while both the Cook Islands and Kiribati are allies with China.

Mr Brown also hit out at the AUKUS agreement, expressing concern about “increased surveillance (by) nuclear-powered submarines through the Pacific”.

Nuclear-powered submarines from the UK and US are increasing visits to Australia under the pact.

The Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands program director, Meg Keen, said Australia’s proposal to co-host COP31 – the world’s most high-profile climate summit – with the Pacific gave the island nations a good platform globally to project their voices and demands.

“It will also increase pressure on Australia to deliver on higher ambition, which is what the Pacific Islands want,” she said.

“Some would like to hold out to see if the Pacific can extract more from Australia now, but for these big events there is a need to lock in and begin planning for success. International pressure on Australia will grow as the co-hosted event nears.

“Of course they’d love a fossil fuel phase out commitment. (Foreign Minister) Penny Wong’s been clear that’s not going to happen in the short-term given the structure of our economy. The Pacific is concerned there’s a divide between what’s being said on climate action and what’s being done.”

The Pacific is also looking for more climate finance to respond to the growing climate catastrophe from government, business and philanthropists. A high priority is support for the regionally-managed Pacific Resilience Facility, Dr Keen said.

Government sources said Pacific leaders had already unanimously supported Australia’s COP31 bid after “welcoming the interest” of the Albanese government to host the event in partnership with the Pacific.

But former Australian high commissioner to Papua New Guinea James Batley said the Prime Minister would want to “get some strong language” backing the COP31 bid in this year’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting communique.

“If we don’t get a strong commitment, our bid could be dead in the water,” he said.

“There’s an unbridgeable gap between the expectations of many Pacific Islands countries (on climate action) and the political reality in Australia.”

Ian Kemish, former Australian high commissioner to Papua New Guinea, said the Albanese government would be hopeful of locking in support for COP31 at PIF and anticipated Australia would showcase its new international development policy that prioritises climate change action and acknowledges Pacific partners expected more.

“It’s been a good, solid pitch by the government and in part the motivation has been to send a message to the region about its solidarity and support on climate change,” Mr Kemish said.