Will Australia push for fossil fuel exit at UN talks?

The heat is on Australia as chief negotiator at the COP31 UN climate conference to forge a path away from coal and gas, and to protect Pacific neighbors facing rising sea levels. The nation has pledged to lead by example at the summit through a strong commitment to renewable energy , electrification and reduced reliance on planet-heating coal, oil and gas.

"Renewable energy, grids, storage and electrification are creating opportunities to strengthen resilience, improve energy security, and reduce emissions at the same time," said Australian climate minister Chris Bowen in October during a meeting in Fiji ahead of the COP climate conference. "These are proven, commercial and scalable today.

Now is the moment for faster implementation." Yet Australia is also the world's third-largest exporter of fossil fuels. And unlike France and Germany , or island nations from Fiji to the Bahamas that are highly vulnerable to a changing climate , the COP31 co-president has not yet commited to phasing them out.