Australia and Turkey Face Backlash as Cop31 Hosts
Australia and Turkey face criticism from activists and Pacific leaders for expanding fossil fuel production while preparing to host the Cop31 UN climate conference.
Joint hosts of the upcoming Cop31 UN climate conference, Australia and Turkey, are facing criticism from Pacific leaders and environmental activists for their continued reliance on fossil fuels. Campaign group 350.org reports that both nations maintain a significant coal supply chain and have largely omitted mentions of fossil fuels in official summit communications.
In Australia, the controversy coincides with a New South Wales regulator's approval of the largest coalmine expansion in the state's history at the Hunter Valley Operations mine. Critics highlight that 37 fossil fuel developments have been approved since 2022. Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has asserted that transitioning to a renewable energy exporter is in the national interest, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has prioritized coal and the establishment of Turkey as a regional gas hub.
Preparatory meetings for the summit are currently taking place in Fiji and Tuvalu to highlight the vulnerability of low-lying island nations. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attending these meetings, attendance from outside the region has remained limited.
