COP President will travel to Sydney and
Canberra from 24-26 July 2022 to meet ministers in the first week
of the new Australian government as he continues to press for the
delivery of the Glasgow Climate Pact.
Mr Sharma will discuss Australia’s potential as an international
climate leader in a number of areas, including climate finance
and zero-emission vehicles. He will also engage with Australian
states and hold discussions with banks, businesses and civil
society groups in support of stronger action on climate.
In recent months, more frequent and severe natural disasters have
shown the impacts of climate change in Australia, including
severe flooding in New South Wales. Mr Sharma will speak with
first responders to these disasters at New South Wales Rural Fire
Service State Operations Centre
On Monday, the COP26 President will be in Canberra, where he will
visit a local nature reserve. He will hear first-hand from
Ngunnawal Indigenous leaders who will explain the impacts of
climate change in Australia, as well as traditional land
management practices.
COP26 recognised the role of Indigenous Peoples and Local
Communities in the Glasgow Climate Pact. As stewards of 80% of
the world’s remaining biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples are
leaders in how to develop nature-based, resilient and effective
solutions to climate change, through their knowledge and
innovations, technologies, and spiritual values.
, COP26 President, said:
Australia is turning a fresh page with its climate commitments
and I look forward to working with the new Australian government
on its path towards increased commitments and leadership in
crucial areas such as climate finance, deforestation and support
for less developed nations in the Indo-Pacific.
The “Powering Australia Plan’’ is an innovative centrepiece of
the new government’s clean energy and industrial decarbonisation
policy and paves the country’s path to net-zero by 2050 and
increasing its clean energy capacity.
During my time in Australia I will meet Indigenous
representatives, business leaders, government ministers and more,
providing a great opportunity to discuss ways we can work
together for effective climate action.
UK High Commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell said:
We’re delighted to welcome to Australia where he’ll hear
first-hand how the region is impacted by the climate emergency.
We know that the Glasgow Climate Pact was a historic collective
achievement, keeping 1.5C alive. Now is the time to deliver on
those commitments. This visit by the COP President to Australia
and Fiji outlines how important the Indo Pacific is to tackling
climate change within the decade.
Following the COP President’s visit to Australia, he will travel
on to Fiji, a climate leader in the Pacific region. Like other
Pacific countries, Fiji is highly vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change.
The UK is focussed on working with Fiji and Pacific countries to
keep adaptation, loss and damage and climate finance on the top
of the agenda in the lead up to and at COP27 in Egypt.
