Australia govt urged to redirect COP31 savings to Pacific countries

A leading think‑tank is urging the Australian Government to use the money saved by not hosting the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP31) to fund climate adaptation in Pacific nations, a move it calls a real test of climate leadership.

The call by the Australia Institute follows a surprise decision by Australia to abandon its bid to host COP31 in Adelaide. Instead, the summit will be held in Türkiye, while Australia, through Climate Minister Chris Bowen, will lead the negotiations.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the compromise, saying the deal could still benefit the Pacific region. “If Australia is not chosen, if Türkiye is chosen, we wouldn’t seek to veto that," he told journalists.

"That will enable us to invite world leaders to make sure that the issues confronting this region, the very existence of island states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati … will be front and centre.”

Bowen also told the media that a “pre‑COP” event will be held in the Pacific and a new “Pacific Resilience Fund” will be launched to support climate‑resilient development in vulnerable island nations.

He says the agreement is necessary: “Significant concession is what’s required when you are trying to find consensus.”

Pacific delegates gathered at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, for two weeks of climate negotiations that ended without a fossil fuel phase-out. Photo/COP30/Stefan Anderson

But not everyone has welcomed the decision. Justin Tkatchenko, Foreign Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG), criticised the outcome, saying Pacific nations were “all not happy” with Australia’s withdrawal.

He dismissed the COP process as ineffectual: “What has COP achieved over the years? Nothing … It’s just a talk fest and doesn’t hold the big polluters accountable," his statement reads.

The ABC reports that some advocates in the Pacific are also disappointed. A representative of the youth‑climate network Pacific 350 described the decision as a let‑down.

Environmental groups in Australia have echoed the concern. Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) says the COP bid loss was “a massive missed opportunity for Australia and the Pacific", warning the decision could weaken efforts for global climate justice.

Supporters argue that the money Australia saved by giving up hosting could be better spent directly supporting Pacific communities, many of which face the gravest impacts of climate change through rising seas and extreme weather.

For those communities, a “pre‑COP” event and a resilience fund may help but only if they result in real, sustained investment.

For critics, the decision underlines doubts about whether global climate diplomacy delivers meaningful change.