Australia's chief negotiator for the COP31 climate conference, Chris Bowen, is determined to persuade oil-rich nations to embrace a transition away from fossil fuels. His goal is to leverage his role as the world’s principal climate negotiator to engage with major petroleum-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and to challenge their reluctance to support advancements at United Nations summits. This approach is described as "hard-nosed," focusing on tackling the obstacles posed by significant greenhouse gas emitters who hinder progress in addressing climate change.
As the appointed "president of negotiations" for COP31, following an agreement that granted Turkey the privilege of hosting the event, Bowen, who also serves as Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, revealed to The Guardian Australia that a key strategy leading up to the summit will involve dialogues with nations that typically hold opposing views.
Bowen specifically highlighted Saudi Arabia, a nation frequently criticized for obstructing international efforts to expedite the exit from fossil fuel dependency. He emphasized, "We won’t get anywhere if we just have a jamboree of the willing." Instead, he advocates for a COP that genuinely attempts to bridge the divides that have historically complicated negotiations in previous conferences.
When pressed on how this ambitious engagement would be realized, Bowen simply stated, "engagement, engagement, engagement."
His remarks come in response to a direct request from former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who urged Australia to exert pressure on the world's biggest carbon emitters—including China, Russia, the United States, and India—to collaborate on creating a clear pathway towards phasing out fossil fuels.
This week, the Trump administration announced its withdrawal from a foundational international climate agreement, effectively stepping back from global climate discussions and leaving Bowen with limited influence over the U.S. stance through COP negotiations.
Bowen pointed out that Australia, being a significant exporter of fossil fuels itself, possesses a unique "credibility" when it comes to lobbying other oil-dependent nations to take more proactive measures.
The COP30 summit held in Brazil concluded without a direct reference to fossil fuels due to pushback from Saudi Arabia and its allies. However, a coalition of over 80 countries, including Australia, signed a distinct "Belém declaration," committing to a fair and orderly phase-out of fossil fuels.
Looking ahead to COP31, Bowen aims for a more productive outcome, seeking what he calls a "meaningful step forward" compared to the 2023 Dubai summit, where nations agreed for the first time to initiate a phase-out of fossil fuels.
In line with the deal made with Turkey, a pre-conference event will be organized in the Pacific, aiming to draw global attention to small island nations that face existential threats from climate change. Although missing out on full hosting rights after a prolonged bidding process was disappointing, Bowen considers COP31 to be a "remarkable opportunity for Australia."
He has invited the Pacific Islands Forum to select a host for this event, which will also serve to encourage contributions to the region’s climate resilience fund.
In an interview detailing his priorities for the upcoming year, Bowen expressed that while there has been substantial progress in reducing pollution—characterizing the achievements as "good, a lot done, but a lot more to do"—the government’s latest projections indicate that while it is on track to meet its 2030 targets, significant policy enhancements will be necessary to realize its new 2035 goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 62% to 70% below 2005 levels.
Upcoming evaluations of the safeguard mechanism, designed to curb pollution from major industrial operations, and the national vehicle efficiency standard aimed at increasing electric vehicle adoption, present early opportunities for accelerated action.
Last month, the Productivity Commission recommended extending the safeguard mechanism to encompass a broader range of polluters, building upon changes the Labor party implemented in 2023. Currently, the scheme applies to facilities that emit over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually, impacting 219 sites.
While Bowen refrained from preempting the review—which is mandated by law—he cautioned that simply including more businesses might not equate to effective solutions. "When considering the threshold, it's essential to strike a balance. You don't want to expand it so much that you include numerous companies yielding minimal impact on emissions," he explained. "It’s not as straightforward as concluding that including more businesses is the obvious path forward."
