We are all acutely aware of how rapidly the clock is ticking down here on Day 9 at COP27, and how far away from consensus participating countries appear to be on many aspects of the final text, which is technically due tomorrow. However, it seems just like COPs in the past, this one will also run a day or two over. We know there is agreement on wording for the Santiago Network (which deals with technical support for Loss and Damage), and possibly acknowledgement of Human Rights and Indigenous peoples. 

These are welcome steps. But the critical issues of greater ambition on mitigation and climate finance, especially for loss and damage, remain blocked at this time. Many climate-affected nations would now be happy to see Loss and Damage just appear in the text, without any concrete details. This so-called implementation COP is yet to deliver on meaningful action, but we are told that something will be cobbled together over the next 36 hours.

Amidst the side events and conversations, we also met with Senator Jenny McAllister, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, as part of a Climate Action Network Australia briefing. The Climate Council raised the critical issues of Australia’s on-going support and funding of fossil fuels. We also spoke about Australia’s attitude to loss and damage, the devastating impacts of mining and climate change on First Nations’ communities in the Northern Territory and the Australia-Pacific relationship in the context of climate change. Senator McAllister acknowledged these points but said it was important for the government to ensure all decisions were “democratised”. They had a mandate for 43% and were proud of the inroads made into renewables, transport and the Safeguard Mechanism. The Government is also looking forward to COP31 and a greater inclusion of civil society in these processes.

On a final note, the COP Pavilions close down tonight. In Australia’s, a total of 6,888 coffees were served – thank you to the baristas!

We now await the final negotiations, nervous but hopeful.

We are coming to the pointy end of COP27 and there is expectation and frustration building in equal measure over what might be delivered. 

Minister Bowen indicated yesterday evening that a number of countries, including Australia, were having to work hard to keep 1.5°C on the table, as well as commitments around renewable energy.

We’ve heard from voices at various forums across what is known as the Blue Zone, and there are two messages that keep repeating. The first is that we need to do more and we need to do it urgently, because climate change is already having devastating impacts around the world (and in Australia). The second is that decades of inaction have left us well behind where we need to be in terms of decarbonisation, financial feasibility, as well as policy. This so-called “implementation COP” feels like anything but today and we’ll need to see huge progress over the coming days. 

The Egyptian COP Presidency has now appointed a number of Ministers to help progress agreements. This includes our own Minister Bowen, together with his Indian counterpart, on adaptation finance. Let’s hope they can muster the troops before the eleventh hour.

In the afternoon, the Climate Council hosted a panel session at the Australian pavilion this afternoon, under the heading “Building Resilience in the Face of Climate change: Working together as an Australia-Pacific Community”. 

The session was opened with a powerful message from Emergency Leaders for Climate Action head, Greg Mullins, who said “Climate disasters have broken records on every continent this year and our future, without strong action, looks bleak.”

We then heard from Gudanji Traditional Owner, Rikki Dank and Jo Dodds, President of Bushfire Survivors for Climate action, who have been deeply affected by climate inaction and the failure to put an end to fossil fuels. Their powerful stories underpin the urgency of Australia going further and faster. Even as we welcome the initial moves forward from the Albanese Government on renewables, we know its ongoing approval of new fossil fuel developments must be stopped now.

Joe Sikulu, the Pacific Regional Managing Director at 350.org brought home the plight of our Pacific neighbours and shared what genuine cooperation might look like, particularly in light of Australia’s bid to co-host COP31 in 2026. Joe urged Australia and other Governments to make finance available, including desperately needed loss and damage funds.

Climate Councillor Nicki Hutley discussed the importance of public finance to support decarbonisation and adaptation, noting that the private sector can’t always drive progress. She also noted that governments too often ignored the economic evidence around the costs of failing to act on climate change.

Overall, the Climate Council’s panel echoed the messages heard around COP27. Urgent action is needed and there are many things we can do to drive more rapid progress if we can find the political will. High on the list of everyone’s priorities was an end to fossil fuels.

We are now well into the second week of negotiations and Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen had the opportunity to speak twice at COP27.

Bowen’s first appearance was as one of a large number of panelists in an event hosted by the UK under the title “Accelerating the clean energy transition”, where countries and organisations such as the Global Solar Alliance and International Labour Organisation presented a brief summary of where they had seen progress since COP26. 

A passionate opening address from climate justice activist, Vanessa Nakate, set out the urgency of transitioning to Net Zero. She noted that the cost of the Pakistan floods was now put at $40 billion and that the World Economic Forum estimated annual losses from climate change would reach $2.3 trillion per annum by as soon as 2030. Ms Nakate also reminded us of UN President Guterres’ warning that new investment in fossil fuels is “moral and economic madness.”

Waiting for Minister @Bowenchris's address at the UK COP Presidency Event at #COP27, and climate activist and inspiring young woman @vanessa_vash just gave an incredibly powerful speech, urging leaders to act NOW. Sadly, Bowen wasn't there to hear it. #AusPol pic.twitter.com/I8QOYse0SO

— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) November 15, 2022

Many other speakers, particularly those from developing economies, echoed these sentiments and called on developed economies to provide greater financial support.

The International Energy Agency provided some hope, suggesting the recent increase in coal generation investment on the back of the Russian invasion of Ukraine would be temporary. The IEA confirmed that previously announced plans to scale up clean energy manufacturing projects over the next seven years to 2030 would be supportive of the transition to Net Zero.

Minister Bowen’s comments were centred on the theme of “no transition without transmission”. He noted Australia’s commitment to 82% renewables by 2030 but also sought to take credit for the work of Sun Cable. There was, unfortunately, no mention of Australia’s on-going expansion of fossil fuel developments. It seems that many COP27 delegates are overly anxious to be polite, rather than pressing their colleagues hard on actual performance.

A couple of hours later, Minister Bowen took to the Plenary Stage to deliver Australia’s National Statement. He acknowledged the terrible toll of climate change, including on Torres Strait Islanders, and the need to keep 1.5 degrees alive. He reiterated Australia’s goal to be a renewable energy superpower and the commitment of $900 million to a Pacific Climate Fund (announced in the Budget last month). 

These words, however, are empty rhetoric when unaccompanied by meaningful policy announcements, notably in the areas of fossil fuel reduction and broader developing economy finance. This is no time to pat ourselves on the back for rejoining the Net Zero Race – we must instead move faster and harder to support the global transition.

Australia was given a harsh reminder at COP27 today that it still has an enormous amount of work to do on climate action, despite a big shift in the Federal Government’s focus since the May federal election.

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which has been published annually for almost two decades by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network International, was released at the CPO and showed Australia has gone from 59th to 55th place, remaining among a group of countries ranked “very low”. 

The index assesses 59 countries and the European Union, which are collectively responsible for more than 90 percent of global emissions.

While the Australian Government has put in place important new policies and initiatives for transforming our energy system, it is early days. The report’s authors said Australia needed to see the implementation of policies before it could shift its ranking significantly.

Key reasons for Australia’s poor performance include: 

• Australia’s new 2030 emissions reduction target remains one of the weakest in the developed world.
• We are yet to start phasing out coal and gas production, or even stop publicly funding it. 
• Australia is falling well short of our fair share of international climate finance, which is a key focus at COP27. 

In releasing the report at the COP, the authors also stressed that “We don’t have time for mistakes” – mistakes that include new oil and gas development.

The need for Australia to urgently lift its game on climate action could not be clearer. 

Today was Gender Day today at COP27, a day of recognition that women are disproportionately affected by climate change across a range of issues including health and economic well-being.

Women are also “essential actors”, according to a new report from the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) and must be brought into the centre of policy-making. 

It’s crazy to think just 5 of the 27 COP Presidents so far have been women. Women in general tend to be under-represented in policy and investment discussions. If we are to get the best policy outcomes for all of us, women – and other under-represented groups such as First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Different communities – must be at the heart of decision making.

It is heartening to hear the voices of women being raised and acknowledged at COP27 today, in a wide range of discussions on strategies including empowering women to take advantage of green economic opportunities.

There are big expectations of Australia for week two of COP27. 

The Government has been telling the world it is back and ready to step up and lead. Now it’s time to back up those words with stronger actions. Minister Chis Bowen has touched down in Egypt so we’re looking for him to ramp up Australia’s commitments after what has so far been a slow start to COP27.

The Climate Council has released a half-time assessment of Australia’s performance at the climate conference. So what has Australia announced during the first week, and what’s left to tick off?

Ministers Bowen and McAllister are urged not to leave Egypt without making new commitments to accelerate Australia’s move beyond coal and gas, and to increase support for vulnerable communities in our region and beyond. The impacts of climate change are being measured in rising hunger and in people being forced from their land and homes. There is no more time to lose.

At a bare minimum, the Government will need to join the US, UK, Germany, New Zealand and dozens of other countries in agreeing to end international public finance for fossil fuels, and will need to fully support the number one priority of Pacific Island countries at this COP – the establishment of a new facility to provide funding to communities facing loss and damage from climate change.

“We saw the US last week at COP27 announce a raft of new strategic initiatives, including a new commitment of international finance for climate change adaptation, new ways to use public finance to unlock billions in private investment, and ensuring major US Government suppliers are required to set Paris-aligned emissions reductions goals. These are good examples of some of the many practical steps the Australian Government can take to start shifting more money towards climate solutions.”

Nicki Hutley, Climate Councillor and leading Australian economist.

Thursday was human rights day at COP, with a series of creative actions inside the venue to highlight the impacts of climate change on human rights, the need to put human rights at the centre of climate solutions, and the extreme dangers often faced by environmental defenders in many parts of the world. The impacts of climate change are already felt hardest by those who are already marginalised or disadvantaged, who have contributed the least to the problem, and yet whose voices are too often silenced. Put simply, climate change is exacerbating existing injustices and inequities that already exist in the world, and we need to pursue solutions that help correct these wrongs rather than compound them. Many important lessons for us in Australia.

Speaking of creative actions, today the COP venue will be a sea of blue as delegates dress in blue to recognise the immense toll of the 2022’s flooding disasters. It will be a poignant day for many Australians here, many of whom will have been directly impacted by our ongoing east coast flooding disaster. From Lismore to Lahore, it has been a year of unprecedented flooding. Climate change, driven by the burning of coal, oil and gas, means we have an atmosphere that is warmer, wetter and packing more energy for storms. Nothing has driven home the urgency of the climate crisis more than the intense and deadly downpours that befell so many parts of the world in 2022.

Australia has continued with its smattering of small announcements, today joining the International Mangrove Alliance for Climate. Though with Minister Pat Conroy headed home, and Ministers Jenny McAllister and Chris Bowen are not due on ground till the start of week 2, we expect things to be a little quieter on the news front for the next couple of days. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is on his way to Egypt, for a much-anticipated speech on Friday. We’ll be here with the hot takes!

Today a few big announcements were made, sending ripples through the conference. 

Al Gore launched an essential new climate transparency tool called Climate TRACE. 

The platform details greenhouse gas emissions from around the world, providing maps and data on 72,000 power plants, oil refineries, airports and more. It’s clear that this is going to be a very worthwhile tool. 

According to the data, emissions from Australia’s dirtiest power station are greater than the combined emissions of all monitored facilities in Kiribati, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Micronesia, and the Solomon Islands. In fact, emissions from power generation and fossil fuel operations in Australia are more than the total emissions of all Pacific Island countries combined. 

Time and time again, we’re seeing that those that have contributed least to the climate crisis are being hit first and hit hardest. Big emitters like Australia must support those on the front lines if the climate crisis. This has been a major theme of COP27, and will continue to dominate global climate negotiations until real Loss and Damage commitments are made and the world’s biggest polluters start to pay for the damage they have caused. 

Speaking of loss and damage, so far it’s a short list of countries who have made new commitments: Canada, Antigua, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Belgium and New Zealand. This is a good start, but falls far short of where we need to be globally. 

If Australia wants to host a Pacific COP in 2026, it must do significantly more to support the region to deal with the impacts of climate change, and join the list of countries leading in this space.

We kicked off the day attending the launch event of the Kioa Climate Emergency Declaration at the Pacific Pavilion, a powerful display of collaboration and speaking truth to power.

The declaration calls on governments, including Australia, to work for:

• Greater action on mitigation and an alignment with the 1.5°C temperature goal
• Urgent action on adaptation including financing support for community led-initiatives
• Urgent progress on the issue of Loss and Damage
• The just, dignified and safe movement of peoples in response to climate impacts
• Guaranteed access to equitable climate financing
• Ocean policies compatible with climate goals
• The cancellation of climate debt to ensure inter-generational equity

We also heard from a number of inspiring activists and Traditional Owners at the Australian Pavilion including Torres Strait Islanders Tishiko King and Yessie Moseby, Rikki Dank – Gudanji Traditional Owner, and bushfire survivor Jo Dodds. They shared vital perspectives on the climate crisis, and the importance of placing self-determination and human rights at the heart of climate action. 

We know we have to move fast this decade. But we know we must avoid the mistakes of the past. The risk of forging ahead with solutions that compound existing injustices, continue to concentrate power in the hands of the few, and run roughshod over the rights and Indigenous peoples, is very real.

The words “not all climate action is climate justice” and “there can be no climate justice without First Nations justice” have been echoing through these halls. To understand what this means, let’s consider a few examples:

When climate solutions are led by local communities and designed to meet their needs, they can be empowering, liberating and work to reduce inequality and disadvantage. Local renewable energy schemes can bring affordable energy to remote communities, freeing them from expensive fossil fuel imports and supporting local livelihoods. Mining the critical minerals needed for the world’s energy transformation can mean new revenue streams for Traditional Owners. Reviving traditional fire management practices can mean good jobs on country and protecting biodiversity.

However, if poorly designed, even well-intentioned efforts to tackle the climate crisis can have negative impacts on communities – often the same communities that are bearing the brunt of climate impacts and have been shattered by colonialism. Large-scale renewable energy initiatives require a lot of land. So do efforts to offset emissions or draw down carbon from the atmosphere. Both carry the risk of land grabs. Similarly, mining – whether for fossil fuels or for the minerals like copper, lithium and cobalt needed for clean energy solutions – have a terrible history in terms of damage to country and benefits flowing to big corporations rather than Traditional Owners.

Yes, we need to move fast this decade, but we need to move together, and in ways that leave communities stronger, healthier and more equal. We cannot solve this crisis with the same approaches and power structures that have caused it. It starts with listening to First Nations voices and ensuring justice, human rights and self-determination are the principles on which we build our clean energy future.

We documented the whole day over on Instagram and Tiktok! Check it out.

The most strident call to action today came from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Gueterres said: “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator. Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish.”

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”

Strong words from @antonioguterres at #COP27 today. It's time we listen – and act. https://t.co/Wa0W2dBmU5

— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) November 7, 2022

Many developing country leaders used their statements to ram home the message that it’s time for rich countries to pay up: beginning with finally fixing the broken $100bn/year promise. However, it is the provision of additional finance to address loss and damage continues to dominate these talks.
Australia’s announcement that they would like to host COP31 further opens the opportunity to be helping define what real leadership from Australia could look like. Put simply, if Australia’s to lead, we need to get serious about leaving our coal and gas in the ground and supporting the world’s energy transformation.

Check out this analysis from our resident on all things climate change and international relations, Wes Morgan.

It’s go time! 

With the formalities taken care of and the agenda for the COP agreed (though not without a last minute fight over whether finance to address loss and damage should be on the agenda), COP27 is now well underway.

Negotiators will now be in their closed meeting rooms, working through highly detailed and technical negotiations across literally dozens of different aspects of implementing the Paris Agreement. 

Meanwhile, today sees the start of the World Leaders Summit, with a line-up of around 70 world leaders poised to make their statements. Expect emotions to run high, with some forceful reminders of the year’s brutal climate-fuelled disasters, condemnation of big emitters and the fossil fuel industry, and urgent appeals for more funds to cope with the impacts of climate change and address loss and damage.

By Dr Simon Bradshaw – Director of Research

Well, we’re back at COP! It’s been a day of getting oriented, looking out for familiar faces, attending planning sessions with like-minded organizations, and bracing for a fiery first few days.

More than ever, the words “climate justice” and “human rights” are on everyone’s lips.

We are in Africa – a continent where the impacts of climate change are measured in rising hunger and entrenched poverty, where communities have contributed almost nothing to global greenhouse emissions yet are hit first and hardest by the climate crisis, and where promises of funding from developed countries to cope with these realities have time and again been broken. From crippling drought in much of East Africa to deadly floods in Nigeria and South Africa, it’s been a year of unrelenting climate-fuelled disasters.

We’re sitting in a room packed with climate campaigners from around the world, listening to Mohamed Adow, founder of Powershift Africa outline priorities for COP27. On the wall behind are the words “Countdown: 14 days to deliver climate justice”. There is real fighting talk here today, and expect things to kick up another notch or two on Monday, when world leaders start making their national statements. Pakistan is still reeling from one of the world’s worst flooding disasters. In Kenya, as in other parts of East Africa, millions are on the brink of starvation. Expect some impassioned demands for big emitters like Australia – who have built their wealth through fossil fuels – to provide new funding to address loss and damage from climate change.

Final word for today – GAS. We already know how much our fight in Australia now revolves around gas. And being here is a reminder we’re not alone. Gas is clearly the new front of the climate fight across much of the world, including Africa. Any new fossil fuel production is utterly incompatible with tackling the climate crisis – and that includes gas. And yet we can expect COP to be crawling with fossil fuel lobbyists, emboldened by the world’s so-called ‘energy crisis’. In truth, it is not an energy crisis, it is a fossil fuel crisis. And fossil fuels – including gas – are not only disrupting our climate but driving global political instability, deepening inequality and fueling crises in our food systems and our democracies. Put simply, it’s time to kick the polluters out of COP!

Whatever the next two weeks bring, we’ll be here on the ground sharing our insights, carrying your voices with us, and pushing our decision makers as hard as we can. Let’s go!

So that’s a wrap! Moments ago nearly 200 countries adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact.We’ll have a more complete analysis of this final outcome from COP26 in the coming days. In the meantime, here’s some of the main things you need to know:

• The final decision places enormous pressure on Australia to step up its efforts during the critical years ahead. It requests all countries to review and strengthen their 2030 targets in 2022, recognising the global emissions must fall by 45% by 2030 in order to keep alive the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C – a matter of survival for many vulnerable communities. More particularly, it urges that the minority of countries, including Australia, that didn’t come to Glasgow with a stronger target to do so as soon as possible next year. For the first time in a COP decision, there is an explicit call for the phase-out of coal-fired power and fossil fuel subsidies.
• As ever, no country got everything they wanted. In addition to fighting to “keep 1.5°C alive”, the world’s most vulnerable countries, including Pacific Island Countries, fought to the end to secure greater assurances of funding to address loss and damage from climate change. On this front, the outcome has fallen short of what we hoped, and what justice for frontline communities demands. Nonetheless, in the spirit of compromise and determined that they not leave Glasgow with no deal at all, Pacific Island Countries including Tuvalu, Marshall Islands and Fiji gave some of the most impassioned calls for countries to adopt the final deal that had been put on the table.
• While the final outcome still leaves the world with a massive amount of work to do, COP26 has seen some real progress. Countries that in past years fought tooth-and-nail against stronger action stepped up with new commitments. Many joined the new partnerships and alliances struck in the first week, including new global pledge to reduce emissions of methane – a highly potent greenhouse gas – as well as deals on coal phase-out, deforestation, climate finance and more. Australia has never been more isolated internationally, or faced greater pressure to step up.

You can read more reflections from Chief Councillor Tim Flannery and Head of Research Simon Bradshaw on what’s gone down over these rollercoaster two weeks in their closing articles in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Conversation. As promised, there’ll be more detailed analysis coming your way in the coming days. In the meantime, thank you for joining us on this journey. What happens next, and whether COP26 ultimately succeeds in catalysing a decade of transformative action, is up to all of us! 

As we write today, negotiators are locked in tense talks over the final ‘COP decisions’. Expect this to continue through the night (Glasgow time) and for negotiations to spill over well into the weekend.

On the plus side, the all-important call for those countries who’d failed to come to Glasgow with a stronger 2030 target to come back in 2022 having stepped things up, has survived in the latest draft of the decision, despite efforts by Australia and a small band of other laggards to have this deleted.

On the down side, the call for an accelerated phase-out of coal power has been weakened through the addition of the word ‘unabated’ in front of coal. This leaves the door open for Australia’s favourite tech fantasy – carbon capture and storage, which as we’ve well established by this stage is little more than a licence to keep polluting.

Other battles are still raging, particularly over the provision of funding to address permanent loss and damage from climate change. When the COP will wrap is anyone’s guess, but we expect to be here for some time yet.

But while there are many details to be worked out – some of them of considerable consequence – the message to Australia from COP26 in Glasgow has been unequivocal: come back in 2022 with a much stronger target for 2030 and a plan to move beyond coal and gas.

Australia arrived in Glasgow as the worst-performing of all developed countries on reducing emissions and moving beyond fossil fuels. The Government has done nothing here to change that. Meanwhile, other countries have picked up the pace and left us even further behind. The sooner the Australian Government steps up with a plan to drive down emissions this decade, the sooner we can start unlocking Australia’s enviable opportunities for new jobs and prosperity through renewable energy and clean industries, start repairing our international reputation and start protecting Australians and communities everywhere from the ravages of climate change.

As we await the final outcomes, in today’s video we give a quick recap of what we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks and what to expect in the final hours.

Beep, beep it’s transport day at COP26! For many countries, transport makes up a substantial chunk of greenhouse gas emissions, which means having a plan to reduce those is key to tackling climate change. Luckily for Glasgow, Scotland is racing ahead on renewable transport! 

GLASGOW’S RACING TOWARDS A CLEAN TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Glasgow is getting a £59 million fleet of new electric buses on the roads by March 2023, and will also see a bus depot on the south side of the city converted into one of the UK’s largest electric vehicle charging hubs. Further north in Aberdeen, a fleet of double-decker hydrogen buses is taking the city by storm as part of a €32m EU-funded Jive (joint initiative for hydrogen vehicles across Europe) project, which is deploying 139 zero emission buses and refuelling stations across five countries.

Scotland is also building out its electric vehicle infrastructure too; in 2020 Scotland had 1,592 public EV charge points. Edinburgh actually has one of the highest concentrations of EVs in the UK. Plus, the Scottish government offers interest-free loans to help people purchase their own EVs.

EVS IN AUS

The Australian Government has also just made an announcement about electric vehicle strategies back home in Aus, but it has been widely criticised for being a missed opportunity. With the majority of the extra $178 million of funding directed towards charging stations and associated infrastructure, the strategy ignores the most efficient and important measures to improve electric vehicle uptake – fuel efficiency standards, subsidies, tax incentives and sales targets. Fuel efficiency standards are considered a bare minimum of any efficient strategy. It’s a disappointing outcome, and while it’s ‘better than nothing’, it doesn’t go nearly far enough. 

OTHER COP NEWS

Overnight, we received the first draft of the final decisions from COP26. While these are only drafts, they give a good initial indication of where things are likely to land. Most importantly, countries (including Australia) that did not come to Glasgow with a new and stronger 2030 target are urged to do so as soon as possible and in advance of COP27 in November 2022. What’s more, the decision calls explicitly for the phase-out of coal and the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, which is the first time this has appeared in any decision text. This is a big deal for Australia.

WOMEN AND THE CLIMATE

What are the impacts of climate change on women? The eighth day at COP aimed to tackle this question, and also highlight how women around the world are leading on climate action and advocating for communities.

We know climate change is a magnifier – it worsens already existing oppression and marginalisation. And over 80% of displaced people from climate related disasters and changes around the world are women and girls. 

In developing countries, women generally are at the forefront of work such as gathering water for cooking and cleaning, and foraging for food, leaving them exposed to changes in the climate. While environmental degradation has serious consequences for all human beings, women’s health is most fragile during pregnancy and motherhood, and puts them at disproportionate risk. 

As a wealthy country, it’s important that Australia acknowledges this and commits to fixing the problem through resources and funding. The recognition of what women already, and could potentially, contribute to limit climate change is still lacking. Gender inequality across the globe will only increase the negative effects of unsustainable and destructive environmental management on women and girls.

WOMEN LEADING CLIMATE ACTION

On the flip side of the coin, women – particularly First Nations women and Indigenous women – are also leading the world’s climate action, demanding more from our world leaders and fighting to protect their communities. 

At COP26, we spoke to Kulkalaig woman, Seed Campaigns Director and Our Islands Our Home community organiser Tishiko King, who is from the Island of Masig (Kulkalgal Nation of Zenadth Kes) about her experiences at the conference and her thoughts on where Australia is at.

“We are at a really critical and crucial time in our lives right now.” said Tishiko King,

“This global gathering is for our world leaders to put the rights of Indigenous people front and centre,” she added. “Unfortunately, the Australian government is really failing at safeguarding, not only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but our brothers and sisters in Aotearoa and in the Pacific region, in the Asian region.”

“We are already seeing our cultural sites, our significant sites being desecrated. This time is our turning point,” added King.

King is one of many Indigenous women having an extremely important role in combating climate change.

“Many of the most effective leaders on climate change around the world are women,” said Climate Council CEO, Amanda McKenzie. 

“I think women often bring a different style of leadership which is about bringing people together, listening, less ego and leading from behind,” McKenzie said.

These skills are crucial in a political environment that has often been plagued by entrenched positions and tribalism,” added McKenzie.

By Dr Simon Bradshaw, Director of Research (Projects)

Ask anyone here in Glasgow what comes to mind when they think of Australia, and the answer is nearly always the same: bushfires. The 2019-20 fires are burned into the memories of not only Australians but millions of people around the world.

Sadly, the two years since our worst ever fire season have seen many other countries and regions, including the US, Canada, Siberia, Turkey and Greece, suffer unprecedented fires fuelled by climate change and the burning of coal, oil and gas.

Today, to coincide with ‘adaptation, loss and damage’ day at COP26, and our full-page message in The Times from the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, we gathered together a group of bushfire survivors from around the world to share their experiences with the media and to remind leaders just what is at stake if they don’t step up and take stronger action.

Having been to many COPs and watched countless press conferences and other events, I have to say that this was one of the most moving. Too often, what goes on in these halls can feel very far removed from the brute reality and urgency of our climate crisis. Negotiators argue over the minutiae of decision texts and talk in indecipherable climate jargon. Meanwhile other delegates are out perusing a sea of shiny exhibits, networking, or listening to the latest announcement of a new pledge, report or technological innovation.

It is those moments when frontline communities stand up and speak truth to power, cut through the noise, and remind those at COP of the lived realities of climate change, that stay with people and influence the outcomes more than anything else can.

Today our courageous group of bushfire survivors dropped a truth bomb right outside the Australian Pavilion. Hannah Parris, whose parents lost their home in the 2019-20 Australian fires, spoke of how her family heirlooms, which survived fleeing Germany during World War II, were unable to survive the Australian summer. Regina from Sacramento, California, representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA!) spoke of the solidarity between fire-impacted communities around the world. Tiffany Traverse spoke from the perspective of an Indigenous officer with the British Columbia Wildfire Service. Meneske from Turkey told of the horrific fires experienced by Turkey and other Mediterranean countries in 2021. Jo Dodds, President of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action, spoke of how it felt to be an Australian bushfire survivor coming to COP26 only to see her government spruiking fossil fuels.

A huge thanks to Climate Council supporters who helped fund the powerful message in The Times. Click on the video to hear some of what Jo, Tiffany, Meneske, Regina and Hannah had to say.

Looking back at week 1

For a summary of week 1, including what major powers brought to the table and how Australia’s actions have been viewed by the rest of the world, see this article by Climate Council researcher Wesley Morgan.

LOOKING AHEAD: WHAT’S HAPPENING INSIDE THE FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS, AND WHAT ISSUES LOOK LIKELY TO DOMINATE WEEK 2?

While coverage of week 1 was dominated by a bonanza of announcements about new deals, including new pledges on deforestation, methane and coal phase-out, at the heart of the COP are the negotiations themselves. These negotiations mostly take place behind closed doors, and cover literally dozens of different aspects of the Paris Agreement and the world’s response to the climate crisis. This includes how countries will mobilise necessary funding, how to ensure transparent reporting on emissions reductions, and how to address permanent loss and damage from climate change.

The negotiations lead to a final set of decisions being adopted by consensus at the end of the second week. Negotiations on some of the less contentious elements are largely wrapped up by the end of week 1. For those that are yet to be resolved, the chairs work to identify the key sticking points and negotiations on these items are then kicked into the second week, where they will be handled by ministers. For this COP, these include:

• Addressing loss and damage from climate change
• Common timeframes for emissions reduction commitments
• Transparency issues
• Finance
• Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which governs global carbon markets

‘ANNUAL RATCHETS’ AND LIMITING WARMING TO 1.5°C

While new emissions reduction commitments made before and during COP26 have gone some way towards closing the ‘emissions gap’ and getting the world on a path to limiting warming to 1.5°C, there is still a long way to go, and it is now clear that countries will need to keep ratcheting up their emissions reduction targets in the coming years. 

A proposal made originally by the Climate Vulnerable Forum, which has been attracting growing attention and support, would see every country revise and strengthen their climate action plans every year between now and 2025. This is not intended to replace the existing five-year review cycle established under the Paris Agreement, but rather, in recognition of the urgent need to further ratchet up commitments if we’re to have any chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C, to encourage new commitments on an annual basis for the critical next few years. Climate Council is strongly supportive of this proposal. The hope is that this ‘annual ratchet’ will be included in the main COP decision or ‘cover decision’, known as 1/CP.26. 

We are also hoping that 1/CP.26 will include explicit mention of the need to phase out fossil fuels. Significantly for Australia, the decision will likely urge those countries that did not submit new and strengthened 2030 targets ahead of COP26 to do so in 2022.

LOOKING FORWARD: HOW WILL THE WORLD FINANCIALLY NAVIGATE CLIMATE LOSS AND DAMAGE?

Week two will see global civil society working to significantly escalate the issue of loss and damage from climate change, in particular the provision of financial support: beyond what’s already committed to supporting countries and communities with reducing emissions. While the Paris Agreement included a specific article on loss and damage – an important win for the world’s most vulnerable countries – little progress has been made on mobilising additional finance to address this growing need. With the months leading up to COP26 having seen an unprecedented run of extreme weather disasters around the world, the issue of loss and damage has been thrust even further up the agenda this year.

Vulnerable countries and their allies in global civil society will be looking, at a minimum, for an unambiguous commitment in the final COP decision for wealthy countries to start providing additional finance to address loss and damage, and for a process to start assessing the scale of need.

AUSTRALIA UNDER FIRE: ARTICLE 6 AND ENSURING EMISSIONS ARE COUNTED CORRECTLY

Regarding article 6 (stay tuned for an explainer!), this will be the third COP at which countries have been trying to agree on the rules for the international trade in emissions reductions. At COP25 in Madrid, Australia was universally panned for insisting it be allowed to count so-called Kyoto ‘carry-over’ units towards its emissions reductions under the Paris Agreement – a move for which there was no legal basis and which was viewed as squarely against the spirit of the Paris Agreement. While Australia has since said it no longer expects to rely on these to meet its 2030 target, it is yet to formally extinguish them. Expect Australia to come under heavy fire should it be brazen enough to hold up negotiations on article 6 again over the question of Kyoto carry-over.

In addition to preventing the carry-over of ‘credits’ from the Kyoto period, the rules for article 6 must avoid any ‘double counting’ of emissions reductions, ensure that there are strong human rights protections so that local communities are not adversely impacted by emissions reduction projects, and that any international trade in emissions reductions serves to drive greater ambition globally, and supports the ultimate goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.

On Monday we will have a more complete update on article 6 negotiations from John Connor, CEO of the Carbon Markets Institute.

CLIMATE RALLY IN GLASGOW

More than 100,000 people gathered in the rain and mud of Glasgow’s Kelvingrove park to march for climate action and climate justice. It made for a stark difference from the discussions and talks happening behind closed doors under fluorescent lighting at the Scottish event campus. The energy and people power at the march was truly uplifting and the message should be impossible to ignore. World leaders – including Australia’s own – most listen. It is time to act.

Today, with much of the negotiations happening behind closed doors, we spent our time talking to some of the amazing activists around the world about their priorities for COP26 and how they think things are going.

No region has more at stake here or has done more to shape the world’s response to the climate crisis than the Pacific. It was determined advocacy from Pacific Island Countries that ensured the Paris Agreement included the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. Knowing that warming beyond this limit was very likely a matter of survival for their communities, Pacific leaders stared down some of the world’s most powerful countries and eventually convinced everyone that limiting warming to 1.5°C had to be the goal.

However, no level of warming is safe, and even with today’s warming of around 1.1°C, vulnerable communities are already facing permanent loss and damage from the impacts of climate change, in spite of best efforts to adapt and build resilience. At worst, communities are being forcibly displaced from their land and homes. Thankfully, the Pacific was also successful in ensuring that the Paris Agreement included a standalone article on addressing loss and damage from climate change.

Unfortunately, the years since Paris have seen very little progress on this element of the  Agreement, particularly when it comes to securing financial support for addressing loss and damage. Here in Glasgow, the issue of loss and damage is one of the most prominent and contentious parts of the negotiations. Pacific Island Countries, and many other vulnerable countries around the world, will be fighting to ensure that in addition to far stronger commitments to moving beyond fossil fuels and driving down emissions, and far greater support to vulnerable communities with building resilience to the impacts of climate change, that they come away with Glasgow with the confidence that communities facing permanent loss and damage due to climate change will be better supported.

Today we were lucky to talk to Kavita Naidu, a Fijian international human rights lawyer and board member at Greenpeace, and Maina Talia, the Secretary of the Tuvalu Climate Action Network and a member of the Tuvaluan delegation here in Glasgow, to gain a deeper understanding of the climate crisis and COP26 from a Pacific perspective.

Today’s energy-themed day got off to a positive start with last night’s commitment from a group of 190 countries and companies agreeing to end coal power.

We decided to head off in search of some positive energy ourselves, making the short trip over to Perth (in Scotland, not WA!) to meet with one of the key architects of Scotland’s own energy transition. Check out today’s video!

Back at the COP, technical negotiations are well underway across the many different elements that will make up the eventual COP decision. Things seemed oddly calm at the COP today, though you can expect things to be kicked up a notch again sooner or later as countries start having to work through some of their areas of disagreement. While so far we’ve been talking mostly about what decision countries will reach on further raising their targets when they leave Glasgow, there are many other items to be negotiated. Over the next couple of days, we’ll bring you some more detail on two of the other main ones for this COP: the rules for government international carbon markets, and addressing loss and damage from climate change.

AUSTRALIA’S COP PERFORMANCE SO FAR

It’s safe to say, Australia’s performance at COP26 so far has left us feeling pretty disappointed and at times, utterly embarrassed. Check out this graphic for a complete run down.

AND THE GOOD NEWS FROM COP26 SO FAR

Despite our own country’s poor performance, we can’t help but feel hopeful when looking at some of the great international initiatives that have been announced at COP26 already

110 countries have committed to ending deforestation by 2030. The countries who have signed the pledge – including Australia, Brazil, Russia, China, Indonesia, the US and the UK – cover around 85% of the world’s forest

COP26 also saw the launch of the Global Methane Pledge through which participating countries have pledged to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Now, 70% of the global economy has signed the pledge, including the US, EU, UK, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand… But not Australi

More than 190 countries and organisations have agreed to end coal power! The pact includes 23 countries that for the first time have promised to stop building new coal plants and eventually shift away from using coal altogether, including South Korea – the second biggest importer of Australia’s coal. And while the Australian Capital Territory has signed the pledge, Australia itself has not (…but are we surprised!?

When COP26 began, the world was on track for 2.7°C temperature rise by 2100. Now, new analyses find that if countries back in the pledges they’ve made at COP so far with adequate action, the amount of warming would drop to 1.9°C. While this still doesn’t meet the Paris agreement’s goal of 1.5°C, we’re on our way to closing that gap.

WHAT DOES THE PATH TO SUCCESS IN GLASGOW LOOK LIKE?

After another big day wrapped, today we got the first glimpse of what would ensure a successful outcome from COP26. 

What we still need to know:

• How far countries have managed to close the ‘emissions gap’ through their new targets; 
• What decisions will be made to further strengthen these targets over the coming years; 
• And whether a series of deals made on the side, including for the phase-out of fossil fuels, will go ahead.

Today we received new analysis showing that if existing pledges were fully implemented, warming could be limited to 1.9°C (see more on that below). That’s progress, but not enough. 

Yesterday we also gave an update on the High Ambition Coalition, a group of countries that will be looking to “keep 1.5°C alive” by ensuring that COP ends with a firm commitment to limiting warming to 1.5C and agreement to ratchet up existing commitments as soon as possible.

What will it take for all countries to agree to that? Here’s where climate finance – the theme for day 3 of the COP – becomes so critical in the negotiations. 

Many of the world’s developing nations will only agree to stronger emissions reduction commitments if the wealthy nations – who have not only contributed the most to cumulative global greenhouse gas emissions but also accumulated considerable wealth off the back of burning fossil fuels – come true on their promises of adequate financial support to the rest of the world. 

This begins with fulfilment of the longstanding promise to provide US$100bn a year by 2020. Today, Indonesia – the world’s eleventh biggest emitter – said it could phase out coal fired power plants by 2040 if it gets sufficient financial help from the financial community.

Even with this week’s modest increase in Australia’s contribution to international climate finance, we are still only providing around a tenth of our fair share towards that US$100bn goal. If we want to see the rest of the world move more quickly beyond coal, and if we want to do our part in “keeping 1.5C alive” then in addition to moving Australia beyond fossil fuels, our government needs to seriously step up its support for climate action beyond our shores.

As for those deals, at the very end of the day, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that 190 countries and organisations have agreed to rapidly phase out coal power at COP26 — but Australia is missing from the list.

The ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’ commits signatories to both phase out coal power and end support for new coal power stations. It already has the signatures of Vietnam – a mooted, major destination for Australian coal – and Poland – a country that ranks ninth in the world for coal consumption. Read more about that here. 

BREAKING NEWS: 190 countries and organisations have signed onto the ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’ commits signatories to both phase out coal power and end support for new coal power stations. Australia did not sign on. #COP26 pic.twitter.com/XsKQIphWOR

— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) November 4, 2021

WHAT ABOUT THAT EMISSIONS GAP?

There’s still a long way to go, but new analysis suggests pledges made in the lead-up and during COP26 will have a major impact on warming this century.

A new assessment shows that if countries’ existing 2030 targets and net zero commitments are fully implemented, warming this century would likely peak at 1.9°C. This is a substantial improvement from only a few weeks ago, where best estimates have the world on a trajectory for a catastrophic 2.7°C temperature rise. It is the first time that projected warming has been below 2°C.

The main reasons for this vastly improved outlook are the inclusion of new commitments from China and India, and the inclusion of the long-term emission reduction strategies put forward by 70+ countries.

This is a highly credible analysis prepared by an expert team including Malte Meinshausen, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and Lead Author of the IPCC’s recent Sixth Assessment of the physical science of climate change.

The analysis hinges on the assumption that pledges will be backed by the necessary policies and actions across energy and land use, and that funding is adequate to ensure their implementation.

While real progress, it is still a long way from what is necessary to “keep 1.5C alive”. That will require countries coming back with new and stronger commitments for this decade.

A successful outcome from Glasgow therefore depends on how far countries close the emissions gap by the end of the COP, and a COP decision that ensures commitments are ratcheted up quickly in the years that follow. A proposal for NDCs to be reviewed and strengthened every year until 2025 has been put forward by the Climate Vulnerable Forum and has growing support, including from the High Ambition Coalition.

Another big day in Glasgow! As negotiations continue and discussions develop, it’s becoming clear that success at COP26 will be defined by three things:

1. The strength of new commitments that countries have brought to the table.
2. The final ‘COP decisions’ – i.e. the negotiated outcome of the COP, including decisions on ratcheting up ambition over the coming years.
3. A series of important deals that are being made alongside the formal negotiations. These include the breakthrough agreement by more than 100 countries to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 – arguably the most encouraging development of the conference so far – and the Global Methane Pledge.

Insane in the methane

Today saw the formal launch of the Global Methane Pledge, through which participating countries have pledged to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Methane emissions are responsible for around a third of the global warming we’ve already experienced. 

Limiting methane emissions is one of the most important things we can do right now to slow the rate of warming over the coming decades. More than 100 countries representing 70% of the global economy have now signed the pledge. The list includes the US, EU, UK, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. But not Australia.

Spruiking false solutions to world

Today, delegates wandering through the pavilion area of the COP – where countries get to showcase their climate actions – were confronted by an interesting juxtaposition. Right next to the pavilion for the Global Methane Pledge, where leaders were launching this landmark new commitment, can be found the Australian Pavilion, dominated by a model of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility bearing the logo of gas giant Santos.

Despite billions in investment and decades of research and development, CCS has consistently failed to live up to its promises. It is widely regarded as a licence to keep polluting and an effort to prop up the fossil fuel industry. But nowhere on earth has it been shown to be possible at anything like the scale that would be required to offset emissions from the continued burning of fossil fuels.

The Australian Government’s actions so far at this COP have further cemented its reputation as one of the world’s worst climate offenders. While others including the UK hosts are working to ensure that COP26 accelerates the world’s transition beyond fossil fuels, Australia remains intent on prolonging the life of the fossil fuel industry.

The ‘Glasgow pact’

As world leaders leave Glasgow, the COP will move into a phase of more detailed and technical negotiations. These will span all the elements of the Paris Agreement, including;

• Mobilising finance for climate solutions
• Adapting to climate change
• How to address permanent loss and damage from climate change
• The operation of international carbon markets
• …and many other areas

Towards the end of the two weeks, these negotiations will converge into a series of final decisions, with plenty of horse trading between one area and another in order to reach an overall outcome that is acceptable to all countries.

One of the most important parts of the final decision will be how quickly and regularly countries will agree to further strengthen their 2030 targets, in order to keep alive the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. 

HAC is back

Six years ago, the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) – an informal alliance of nations led by the Marshall Islands – became pivotal to landing the Paris Agreement. The HAC assembled a critical mass of countries in support of limiting warming to 1.5°C, along with other key elements of the eventual Agreement including a five-yearly review and strengthening of countries’ contributions.

Could the High Ambition Coalition be key to success in Glasgow, specifically to landing an agreement to rapidly ratchet up ambition post-Glasgow to “keep 1.5°C alive”? There are clear signs that a similar diplomatic effort is now well underway behind the scenes. 

Importantly, the US has rejoined the High Ambition Coalition. Notably, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was sat alongside representatives of the Marshall Islands and Denmark today while announcing US support for a new declaration on net zero emissions shipping. The Marshall Islands, along with Grenada, is co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition. Denmark had been tasked by the UK to work with Grenada on a draft decision on further strengthening the ambition of 2030 targets. 

It may just be speculation at this stage, but seeing these countries working together strongly suggests a similar strategy to what we saw in Paris is unfolding. While that COP saw Australia eventually join the HAC, given that Australia stubbornly resisted calls to strengthen its 2030 targets ahead of COP and instead has been doubling down on fossil fuels, it seems highly doubtful this time around that Australia would be accepted into the club.

Phew! Day two of COP26 was a biggie. Country leaders began making their addresses to the conference, Sir David Attenborough gave a powerful speech as the ‘People’s Advocate’ to the summit, and Australia was awarded one of the ‘Fossils of the Day’! Here’s a quick wrap up of some of the biggest moments from the day.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed COP26

Overnight in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed world leaders at the COP26 summit with a speech that was light on commitments and credibility, but heavy on spin.

We’ve pulled apart his speech and debunked a few of his misleading claims in this explainer article. Check it out! 

Australia was awarded runner up “Fossil of the Day” by the Climate Action Network

The ‘Fossil of the Day’ award highlights those countries that are “doing the most to achieve the least” in progress on climate change. Australia is one of the first countries to be named “Fossil of the Day” at this year’s conference in recognition of our failure to deliver ambitious climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, as well as for the approval of 3 new coal mines in the months leading up to COP26.

Sir David Attenborough gave a powerful speech

Sir David Attenborough addressed world leaders and delegates with a strong message both of urgent action and determined hope. The speech set the stage for the gravity of the decisions that will be made at COP26, and highlighted that the impacts of those decisions will be felt by generations to come. 

“The people alive now [and] the generation to come will look at this conference and consider one thing: did that number [atmospheric CO2 concentration] stop rising and start to drop as a result of commitments made here? There’s every reason to believe that the answer can be yes.”

Dr Simon Bradshaw on the Project

Dr Simon Bradshaw joined Waleed Aly on Channel 10’s The Project to unpack Australia’s appalling history of climate inaction, and how that led us to where we are today – dead last on climate action out of all developed nations. You can watch the segment here to help you cut through the spin around Australia’s climate policy history.

Some photos from day 2 of COP26!

BY DR SIMON BRADSHAW – DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH (PROJECTS)

Today was the formal opening of the COP. With many world leaders arriving tonight, ahead of the two-day World Leaders Summit, it felt like the calm before the storm. In the main plenary, officials worked through all the various procedural steps to get things formally underway. Meanwhile, delegates roamed around trying to get themselves oriented and meeting to strategize for the coming days.

Outcome of the G20 Summit

While weaker than an earlier draft, which included a commitment to the phase-out of coal-fired power in developed countries by 2030, the final G20 communique identifies limiting warming to 1.5°C a common goal of G20 nations, and recognises the significant contribution of methane emissions to climate change. “Keeping 1.5°C alive” will require countries to further ratchet up their 2030 targets after Glasgow. Australia resisted the inclusion of a commitment to phase-out coal and for greater efforts to cut methane emissions. Classic Australia! 

New Zealand comes to the party, leaving Australia even more isolated

On the eve of COP26, New Zealand became the latest country to commit to halving its emissions by 2030. With the US, EU, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and now New Zealand having substantially strengthened their 2030 commitments, Australia now finds itself as the only one among comparable countries showing up in Glasgow without a new and stronger target for this decade.

As governments and international media descend on Glasgow, Australian NGOs are working to ensure they understand the reality of Australia’s climate (in)action

The Australia Institute took out a full-page advertisement in Scotland’s Sunday Post with the words “Don’t let Australia wreck Glasgow”, highlighting Australia’s continued approval of new coal and gas developments, and the fact that emissions from Australia’s production and burning of fossil fuels are still going up, not down.

World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Global Climate Report lays down the latest science as COP26 gets underway

In one of the most important scientific inputs to the COP26 negotiations, the World Meteorological Association has shown that the last seven years have been the hottest on record and that sea level rise is accelerating. The report also documents the extraordinary run of extreme weather events around the world in the year leading up to COP26.

Quote of the day

COP26 President Alok Sharma and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinoza open proceedings:

“We know that this COP, COP26, is our last best hope to keep 1.5 in reach. And I know that we have an unprecedented negotiations agenda ahead of us. But I believe this international system can deliver. It must deliver…. Together, we can seize the enormous opportunities for green growth, for good green jobs, for cheaper, cleaner power. But we need to hit the ground running to develop the solutions that we need. And that work, my friends, starts today. And we will succeed. Or fail. As one.”

BY DR SIMON BRADSHAW – DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH (PROJECTS)

Step up, Don’t #COPOut on climate

After months of planning, and many moments when we thought we’d never make it, our team is on its way to Glasgow!

We can’t wait to hit the ground, show you around, begin introducing you to some amazing people from around the world, and start keeping track on what the Australian Government is up to over here.

In the meantime, given they plan to show up with no real plan or commitment to climate action, you might be wondering what our government actually hopes to achieve by showing up in Glasgow? The short answer, as one of our Australian friends put it well, is “to get away with it”. That’s right, through the miracle of marketing, to get away with a plan to double down on fossil fuels and evade all responsibility for tackling the climate crisis.

Which means we’re going to have to do everything in our power to make sure they don’t!

Let me explain. The Australian Government knows the rest of the world is mightily unimpressed with both its track record and woeful lack of new commitments. Afterall, have you seen some of the global press it’s been getting recently? Of course, the sensible response to that would be to step up with a real contribution to tackling the global climate crisis. Instead, it looks like we’re about to watch our government try desperately to spin its way out of trouble.

Having wavered on whether to even come, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is jetting in on Monday for the world leaders’ summit. There’ll be a shiny pavilion set up to showcase Australia’s (in)action throughout the conference. And our government will be pulling every trick in the book to convince the world that the ‘Australian way’ to cutting emissions has real substance to it.

Unfortunately, the facts speak for themselves. Australia remains the worst performing of all developed countries when it comes to reducing emissions and moving beyond fossil fuels. It is already proving a drag on progress at this COP before things are even fully underway, having shown up with no commitment to accelerating action this decade, and refusing to sign the Global Methane Pledge. Not to mention the multiple new coal projects that it approved in the lead-up to COP.

No doubt our government expects to cop a bit of a bruising over the next two weeks, but will ultimately be hoping to get home relatively unscathed and able to carry its woefully inadequate commitments through to next year.

We can’t let that happen. And together, we won’t let that happen. Join us over the next two weeks as we work to hold our government accountable, help showcase what real action on climate change looks like, and show that Australians – and the world – are determined to ensure we become part of the solution.

Two-thirds of the Climate Council team who’ll be on the ground in Glasgow at COP26!
Dr Simon Bradshaw and Alex Soderlund.