‘We have leadership role on climate change’, says Anthony Albanese at CHOGM

Anthony Albanese says Australia is playing a ‘leadership role’ in preparing the Pacific for climate change as he arrived in Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders.

Charles and Camilla pose with local rugby union players during their Samoa Cultural Village visit on Thursday in Apia, Samoa. Picture: Getty Images

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Anthony Albanese says Australia is playing a “leadership role” in preparing the Pacific for climate change as he arrived in Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders, with his government facing pressure from Pacific leaders to be more ambitious on emissions reduction and curtail its coal and gas exports.

As King Charles III visited mangroves and discussed deforestation outside Samoa’s capital, Apia, the Prime Minister said climate change would be a key focus at the week-long summit.

“Here in the Pacific, climate change is, of course, an existential threat to countries like Tuvalu and Kiribati and others in our ­region, so whenever we are engaged with the Pacific that is front and centre. And of course Australia is playing a leadership role,” Mr Albanese said on Thursday.

“The entry fee for credibility when it comes to international forums such as this is acknowledgment of the challenge of climate change and of preparedness to act on it.”

His comments came as Britain and Australia announced they would develop a new Commonwealth investment network designed for small island nations that “had challenges” in attracting funding for projects including those in climate resilience.

The two countries are also expected to sign a deal that would give Britain more access to Australian critical minerals to help break up China’s monopoly over the industry and supply the resources needed for green energy products like lithium batteries.

However, Britain and Australia copped criticism from Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo, who accused wealthy Commonwealth countries of “directly contradicting the values we share” by continuing to export fossil fuels.

Anthony Albanese in Samoa. Picture: PMO

“To put it plainly, it is a death sentence for us … if larger nations continue to increase their emission levels,” he said, after launching a report on Australia, Canada and Britain’s fossil fuel expansion.

“Australia is highly morally obliged to ensure whatever action it takes does not compromise what it has provided in terms of climate impact.

“The Australian government has committed to net zero by 2050, but the activities and actions reported … are obviously not consistent with the broader spirit of achieving that objective.”

Mr Teo and other Pacific leaders have been calling on Australia to sign a “fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty” to halt the expansion of coal and gas projects.

Mr Albanese is due to attend bilateral meetings on Friday with Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who declared earlier this week that he believed Commonwealth countries should “look forward” and work together on issues like climate change rather than consider reparations for past harm such as slavery in British colonies.

When asked for his view on whether reparations should be discussed as part of the summit, Mr Albanese refused to weigh in.

“That, of course, is a matter for the UK government,” he said.

“Certainly, the focus I bring to the next couple of days will be engaging on climate change.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia understood “the existential threat climate change poses to the Pacific” and acknowledged progress on reducing emissions was not where it should be.

“We know we have a lot of work to do … we’re up for that,” she said. “It will take longer than I would have liked … I’ve been upfront with every partner in the ­Pacific.”

Senator Wong also pointed to the fact China and India were two emerging economies that were currently accounting for about 40 per cent of global emissions.

“We all know the whole world has to respond,” she said.