Climate advocates in Australia have grown increasingly frustrated that the Albanese government has been unable to finalise its bid despite months of effort and broad international support. Some fear that securing the talks, to be held in November next year, so late will harm efforts to develop an ambitious agenda.
The signals sent by Albanese, as well as Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen over the next four weeks, are seen as a critical demonstration of the government’s willingness to host the talks.
As the Coalition battles internally over climate politics, the government has a packed and complicated agenda. Albanese has travelled to Solomon Islands this week for the Pacific Islands Forum, with climate and climate security expected to take centre stage, before he attends the United Nations General Assembly along with Wong and Bowen.
In the coming weeks, the government is expected to release a long-delayed National Climate Risk Assessment, which insiders have warned will make for grim reading, before it announces its 2035 climate targets before the Brazil COP.
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