“It’s about survival:” Pacific islands slam Coalition threat to drop bid to co-host COP31

Peter Dutton’s suggestion that a future Coalition government would abandon a bid to co-host COP31 with the Pacific if elected has raised questions about “the nature of our friendship” for some of Australia’s neighbours, Tuvalu’s climate minister says.

On Sunday, the opposition leader suggested a future Coalition government would abandon any effort to host the international climate conference, appearing to suggest that it was a needless expense during a cost-of-living crisis.

“This morning I saw Albanese catching up with an elderly lady and I hope he told her, she is struggling with the cost-of-living prices under Labor, but the government is planning to spend tens of tens of billions of taxpayer dollars on hosting a COP process that will not bring down power prices and will sign a Labor government up to giving tens or hundreds of millions of dollars out to third party countries,” he said.

These comments appeared to threaten a disconnect on the Australian government’s recent efforts to re-engage with the Pacific.

The Australian to co-host the COP31 climate conference in partnership with the Pacific has been a feature of the Labor government’s engagement with the Pacific following a more dismissive diplomatic approach under the Coalition government, particularly on the existential threat posed by human-caused climate change.

Early on in its term, for instance, the Morrison government pulled Australia out of a global climate change fund for developing countries.

In another incident from 2015, Peter Dutton, then serving as immigration minister, was caught on a hot mic joking to then prime minister Tony Abbott and future prime minister Scott Morrison about how a meeting running late was on “Cape York time”, adding that “time doesn’t mean anything when you’re, you know, about to have water lapping at your door.”

Dutton later apologised for the remark.

A feature of the Labor government’s re-engagement with the Pacific has included a public effort to take the region’s concerns about climate change seriously, and led to a landmark 2024 migration deal with Tuvalu.

Under the arrangement, Australia would allow 280 residents to move to Australia each year in response to sea-level rise and pledged to recognise Tuvaluan sovereignty even if the island is inundated.

Dr Maina Talia, Tuvalu Minister for Climate Change said he was disappointed by the opposition leaders’ comments, adding that they created “uncertainty” for Pacific countries that suggested Australia may not be a reliable partner going forward.

“For the Pacific, this is not about politics or an election cycle — it’s about the survival of our lands, our cultures, our people, who are facing the grossly unfair burden of climate impacts,” Dr Talia said.

“In an increasingly uncertain world, Pacific leaders welcomed the Australian government’s renewed commitment to rebuilding its relationships with Pacific nations after years of neglect.

“Peter Dutton’s comments serve only to open up more uncertainty, and question the nature of our friendship.”

Dr Maina said the prospect of a co-hosted COP31 represented “an opportunity to highlight the existential climate threats facing our region” and to “showcase Australia and the Pacific as a global beacon of climate action and leadership, and to accelerate green economy ambition.”

“The climate crisis is the single greatest threat facing the world. Co-hosting the COP31 conference is a moral responsibility to ensure a safe climate future for our communities — the costs of inaction are too great,” he said.