On the eve of a busy month of climate diplomacy for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – beginning with his attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum in Solomon Islands this week – the Smart Energy Council has released a major new report, The Pacific COP: Australia’s Moment to Shine.
A Global, Regional and Domestic Context
The report sets out the context for COP31, including the agenda Australia will inherit if its bid to host – in partnership with Pacific nations – is successful in the coming months. Türkiye is also bidding to host COP31.
It features an exclusive foreword from former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who writes:
“Australia has the potential to partner with its Pacific neighbours and be the kind of stewards of the international process for those whom climate change is a daily reality and desperately need the strong leadership.”
Idea Snapshots to Define COP31
With the clock ticking to organise what would be the largest diplomatic event in Australia’s history and the biggest trade fair anywhere in the world – the report also outlines a number of idea snapshots under active discussion across government, industry, civil society, and the broader community.
These include:
- A new pathway to deliver 100% renewable energy in the Pacific
- New green iron deals with China
- An interconnected ASEAN power grid
Authored by a COP Veteran
The paper is authored by Thom Woodroofe, the Council’s Senior International Fellow, a veteran of multiple COP negotiations. Thom was instrumental in founding the High Ambition Coalition that helped secure the Paris Agreement, and has previously served as chief of staff to a former Australian Prime Minister and as adviser to a Pacific head of state during their chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Momentum Building Toward COP31
This publication comes as Australia stands on the cusp of two hugely significant moments for its climate ambition:
- Setting the nation’s 2035 emissions reduction target, and
- The decision on whether Australia will host the UN’s COP31 Climate Conference next year in partnership with the Pacific
In a joint op-ed for The Saturday Paper, Thom Woodroofe and Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes argued that Australia must seize these opportunities if it is to chart a course toward becoming a renewable energy and green exports superpower.
👉 Read the op-ed in The Saturday Paper
Media contact: Tim Lamacraft – tim@smartenergy.org.au – 0448 972 192
