Australia takes the world stage at COP31 – but fails to mention the transition away from fossil fuels

At the world leaders segment of COP31, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an accelerated transition away from fossil fuels, while Brazil’s Lula has urged countries to back national transition roadmaps. 350.org warns that Australia must now use its COP31 co-presidency to turn these calls into action.

ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE -- “Fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a blunt challenge to world leaders at COP31 today, warning that the fossil fuel industry’s political influence is standing in the way of the action needed to tackle the climate crisis.

His intervention comes as former COP30 President and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made an impassioned appeal for countries to commit to roadmaps for a just transition away from fossil fuels, building on the momentum created at last year’s climate summit in Belém.

The calls from Guterres and Lula stand in stark contrast to the lack of leadership from the current COP31 co-presidencies. Despite growing calls from countries across negotiating blocs, the UN Secretary-General and civil society to advance the roadmap process, Australia and Türkiye have yet to set out a clear way forward.

In particular, Australia has a crucial opportunity to use its position as co-president to drive progress. Yet in his COP31 address, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made no mention of fossil fuels, despite the urgent need for a plan to move beyond them.

Fenton Lutunatabua, Pacific and Caribbean Programe Lead at 350.org, said:

“António Guterres has said what the science and the people on the frontlines have been telling governments for years: fossil fuels belong in the past. Lula has made clear that countries must now turn the commitment to move away from fossil fuels into fair and funded national plans. The question is whether Australia and Türkiye are prepared to lead, or whether they will allow this moment to slip away.

“Australia cannot call itself a climate leader while staying silent on the coal, oil and gas driving this crisis. As COP31 co-president, it has both the responsibility and the opportunity to move this process forward. If Australia is serious about its role, it must help establish a Presidency-led process for fair national transition roadmaps, with clear timelines and the climate finance needed to make them real, feeding into the next Global Stocktake.

“Electrification must also be part of the answer, but only if it is powered by renewables, expands access to affordable energy and is backed by climate finance. We cannot simply build more electricity infrastructure while leaving fossil fuels in control of the energy system – or leave developing countries to pay for a transition they did not cause.

“COP31 must be remembered as the moment governments started making the transition away from fossil fuels real, not another summit where they recognised the problem but failed to act.”

350.org has launched an open letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling on him to seize the opportunity of Australia’s COP31 co-presidency to demonstrate what genuine climate leadership looks like. The letter, backed by supporters, urges Albanese to turn words into action by helping drive a fair and fully funded transition away from fossil fuels, championing renewable-powered electrification and committing the climate finance needed to support countries on the frontlines of the crisis. With the world watching, Australia has a choice: lead the shift towards a fossil-free future or risk holding back the progress the world urgently needs.

Te Raukura O’Connell Rapira, CEO of 350 Australia, said:

“Australia needs to take three concrete steps. First, it has to lead the world away from fossil fuels by advancing national roadmaps for a fair and fully funded transition away from coal, oil and gas. It must lead by example, publishing its own roadmap with an ambitious deadline to phase out coal, and establish a Presidency-led process to carry this work forward towards the second Global Stocktake.

“Second, it must champion electrification powered by renewable energy – expanding access to affordable and reliable energy. Third, Australia must commit AUD$11 billion in international climate finance over five years. These are not optional extras. They are the minimum steps Australia must take if it wants to be remembered as a country that helped move the world beyond fossil fuels, rather than one that stood in the way.”

The message from the UN Secretary-General, Brazil and countries around the world is clear: the transition away from fossil fuels must accelerate. Australia now has a choice, help lead that transition, or be remembered as one of the governments that held it back.

ENDS

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