Albanese praises renewable gains at COP31, sidesteps fossil fuel exports
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the nation's renewable-energy growth at the United Nations climate summit in Antalya on 9 November, according to The Guardian, but he made no reference to Australia's large coal and gas export industry. Earlier in the summit, Australia's climate minister Chris Bowen was appointed to head the COP31 negotiation team, a move that drew criticism because of the country's significant fossil-fuel export business (The Guardian).
The conference, which opened on 9 November amid disputes over climate finance and electrification pledges (CNA), brought more than 90 heads of state to Antalya to discuss implementation of emissions targets (The Guardian). Research presented on the second day showed a modest decline in global fossil-fuel carbon emissions (The Guardian).