Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chris Bowen on co-hosting COP and Australia’s renewables target
The environment minister has fought back against criticisms that very few world leaders will attend the pre-COP meeting in the Pacific.
A year marked by devastating floods and fires serves as a stark reminder of the intensifying impact of climate change. Despite global challenges, including economic pressures, international conflicts, the rise of populism, and a weakening will to cooperate, Australia is at the forefront of international climate negotiations. This year, Australia is co-hosting the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) with Turkey, held in November, and a pre-COP event in Fiji and Tuvalu early in October.
Chris Bowen, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President for Negotiations for the COP, discusses climate issues both domestically and internationally.
Bowen confirms that the preparations for COP are progressing well, acknowledging the immense difficulty in reaching consensus among 194 countries. He dismisses criticisms regarding the limited participation of foreign leaders at the pre-COP event in Fiji and Tuvalu, emphasizing the importance of addressing Pacific issues and noting that it is a first-ever leader-level attendance at a pre-COP. Tuvalu, a small and rarely visited country, represents a significant achievement in bringing at least one leader to the event.
Regarding Australia's climate targets, Bowen expresses confidence in meeting both the 43% reduction in emissions below 2005 levels and the goal of 82% renewables by 2030. He notes the progress made, with the share of renewables increasing from 33% when the government took office to an effective 50% now. Despite the challenges, Bowen asserts that achieving these targets is not impossible and believes that continued efforts will lead to success.
In terms of power prices, while he does not commit to a reduction, Bowen highlights the ongoing progress in lowering wholesale prices, which will eventually impact retail bills. He also acknowledges the opposition to large-scale renewable projects but notes the support as well, emphasizing the importance of addressing legitimate community concerns through the planning system without allowing baseless objections to hinder progress.
Finally, Bowen criticizes comments from Pauline Hanson and One Nation, suggesting that their actions do not contribute to respectful debate on climate issues.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
