UN calls on Australia to increase climate action

The UN climate chief called on Australia set an ambitious emissions target for 2035 and to accelerate its clean energy transformation, warning that failure to act could undermine living standards and regional stabilty.

Simon Stiell said that Australia should "go big" and do what is smart.

"Don't settle with what is easy. "Bog standard is beneath you", he said, at an event organized by the Smart Energy Council in Sydney.

Australia is under fire for supporting new fossil fuel projects, while also attempting to co-host UN COP31 Climate Summit with the Pacific next Year.

In May, the centre-left Labor Government, which came to power in 2022 and was mandated to reduce carbon emission, allowed Australia's largest natural gas plant to continue operating until 2070. Critics said this decision called into question Australia’s commitment to combating climate change.

Due to coal-powered power generation, Australia ranks among the most polluting countries in the world.

Wood Mackenzie, a consultancy, has predicted that Australia will fall well short of its goal of 82% renewable energy by 2030 because of state-level rollbacks and grid connection delays.

Stiell said that the country's 2035 emission reduction target due in September would be a defining moment that could send out a message saying that "this nation is open to clean investments, trade and long-term partnership".

He said that Australia had the chance to be a leader in renewable energy and that "doubling-down on clean energy" was an economical no-brainer.

He warned that failure to act would destabilise Australia’s neighbours, particularly those in Southeast Asia and the Pacific who are more vulnerable to extreme weather and rising sea levels.

Stiell stated, "This is the time to support a climate policy that not only reflects your vision but also delivers for you and your people."

(source: Reuters)