BONN — Chris Bowen, Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, attended a climate conference in Bonn, Germany, where preparatory discussions for the upcoming Cop31 UN climate negotiations were underway. Bowen will preside over the Cop31 negotiations, which are scheduled to take place in Turkey this November.

During his attendance, Bowen emphasized the global commitment to net-zero emissions. He stated, "We have to recognise that the world is committed to net zero – more than 80% of our trading partners are committed to net zero." Australia ranks among the world's largest exporters of coal and natural gas.

Bowen also promoted Australia's potential in renewable energy exports. He stated, "You can export green hydrogen, you can export electrons through cables, you can make things with that renewable energy, you can export green gigabytes, green artificial intelligence. You can have datacentres in Australia and export the AI to countries that maybe can’t do that."

Since the current Australian administration took office in 2022, more than 30 fossil fuel developments and expansions have been approved. Australian officials and Pacific Island nations advocated for a 2023 UN resolution to transition away from fossil fuels. More than one third of homes in Australia utilize rooftop solar panels. Additionally, over 400,000 small residential batteries have been installed in Australia following the launch of a government subsidy program in July.

Murat Kurum, the Environment Minister of Turkey, will co-host Cop31 and manage the conference action agenda. Kurum stated, "Unless we go through this transformation, we won’t be able to achieve the target of limiting global heating to 1.5C."

No independent assessment of Chris Bowen’s claims was available.