Australia’s Cop31 chief negotiator plans to lobby petrostates on fossil fuel phaseout

Chris Bowen, Australia's climate change and energy minister, has been appointed "president of negotiations" for the Cop31 UN climate summit, which will be hosted by Turkey. In this role, Bowen plans to actively lobby countries like Saudi Arabia, often referred to as "petrostates," to reduce their resistance to fossil fuel phaseout and other climate-related progress at UN summits. Bowen emphasizes the importance of direct engagement with countries that have traditionally disagreed on climate action. His strategy aims to foster a "hard-nosed" approach in dealing with major emitters who are obstructing the global transition to cleaner energy sources. Bowen believes that increased dialogue and engagement are key to achieving meaningful outcomes at Cop31.

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