Australia's Chief Negotiator for COP31, Chris Bowen, is gearing up to engage with petrostates, particularly Saudi Arabia, to push for a more aggressive phase-out of fossil fuels. Bowen aims to leverage his role to encourage these countries to stop resisting progress at UN summits, advocating for a 'hard-nosed' approach to tackle big emitters. In an interview, Bowen highlighted the importance of engaging with countries that don't traditionally align with Australia's views, emphasizing the need to cross difficult bridges in climate negotiations. This strategy comes after a direct appeal from former US Secretary of State John Kerry for Australia to actively push major emitters to develop a roadmap for ending the fossil fuel era. However, the Trump administration's withdrawal from the foundational international climate agreement limits Bowen's ability to influence the US through COP negotiations. Bowen also discussed the upcoming COP31 summit, which, despite missing out on full hosting rights, presents a 'remarkable opportunity' for Australia. He plans to host a pre-conference event in the Pacific to draw global attention to small island nations under climate threat. Bowen's priorities for 2026 include balancing international duties with domestic energy transition management, with a focus on cutting pollution and achieving emissions reduction targets. He acknowledged the progress made but emphasized the need for more action, particularly in reviewing the safeguard mechanism and the national vehicle efficiency standard to accelerate emissions reduction.
