Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP28

This is a subpage of Australia at COP28 Climate Diary and will be updated throughout the conference.

Australia will be represented at the ministerial level at COP28 by Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Assistant Minister Jenny McAllister. Jenny McAllister has already been assigned a key role at the conference: co-facilitate with Chile’s Minister for the Environment, Maisa Rojas, outcomes on adaptation.

Why doesn't Prime Minister Albanese attend? Well COP28 is more of a technical conference focussed  on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, this year looking at the Global Stock Take, Implementing the Loss and Damage Fund, as well as mitigation and Adaptation work programs. 

Chris Bowen | Jenny McAllister | Pledges | climateambassador | Mayors

Senate Estimates: As climate change accelerates in 2023, Climate Change Department executive says no change in emission reduction plans

On Monday, 23 October 2023 during Senate estimates for Environment and Communications Legislative Committee, a question was put to the Department of Climate Change Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) whether plans had changed due to the accelerated global warming seen during 2023. 

The executive replied "It does not change our approach to emissions reduction because, in essence, we are already pushing our emission reductions to go as fast as is possible for Australia."

The evidence is clear: Global temperatures throughout mid-2023 have shattered records (Carbon Brief), September smashes monthly temperature record by record margin (WMO) See also: Climate Breakdown has begun warns UN Secretary General as world experiences hottest June-August period on record.

Australia talking renewables at Petersberg Climate Dialogue 2023 while new gas projects launch

Senator Jenny McAllister at
Petersberg Climate Dialogue

The Petersberg Climate dialogue is ocurring in Berlin, Germany over 2-3 May 2023. About 40 countries are represented. Australia is represented by Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

The Dialogue is co-hosted by Germany and the incoming UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) President, which for 2023 is the United Arab Emirates.

Actions under discussion include on climate change mitigation, energy transition, adaptation and loss and damage, and climate finance.

According to the press release Minister McAllister will participate in high-level political discussions on global energy transitions and adaptation action and co-facilitate discussions on new funding arrangements to address loss and damage arising from climate change impacts.

Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP27

Well I tracked Australian Ministers at Previous COPs, so only fair I also do so for COP27. 

See Melissa Price at COP24, Angus Taylor at COP25. For Glasgow I started keeping an Australia at COP26 diary which featured a paragraph by paragraph deconstruction and rebuttal to Prime Minister Morrison's speech. For COP21 and COP22 I was following social media and statements by  Julie Bishop regarding the COP.

Australia's Ministerial representation at COP27 included Pat Conroy as Minister for International Development and the Pacific, present for the first week; Chris Bowen as Minister for Climate Change and Energy present for the second week; and Senator Jenny McAllister as Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy (Present for the second week).

Why didn't Prime Minister Albanese attend? Well COP27 is more of a technical conference focussed  on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. While there was a 2 day high level segment in which about 100 leaders, Presidents and Prime Ministers flew in to attend, the political decisions to break deadlocks just weren't there. The high level segment was primarily leader grandstanding. Adam Morton in The Guardian thinks It was an avoidable mistake for Anthony Albanese not to attend Cop27, in terms of maintaining climate momentum. I don't think it was necessary for this COP.

Chris Bowen | Jenny McAllister | Pat Conroy | Pledges

Labor has not committed to the pledge on 15 November on ending Export credit finance to Fossil Fuels

As COP27 starts Australia supports Loss and Damage finance, bids for COP31 in 2026 and a new Climate Change Ambassador

As the UN climate change conference COP27 starts in Sharm El-Sheikh, Australia has announced our new Climate Change Ambassador to be career public servant Kristin Tilley.

Australia is also launching a bid with Pacific nations to host the 2026 UN climate change conference (COP31). These conferences are rotated around the different regions and the next opportunity for Europe and other, which Australia is in, will be in 2026.

With the election of a Labor Government to Federal Parliament in May 2022, Australia has increased its commitment to climate action. From being a laggard country it is now in the middle of the pack of developed nations.

At the opening plenary Australia, as chair of the Umbrella Group of Nations, supported the inclusion of the agenda item on financial measures to address Loss and Damage, a key item for developing countries.