When the medical world hosts a conference on quitting smoking, they don't invite Phillip Morris, or British American Tobacco along to help "be part of the solution".
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Yet when the United Nations hosts its annual climate conference of the parties (known as COP) to reduce emissions, it's usually swamped by fossil fuel lobbyists.
The Albanese government is bidding to host next year's COP31 climate summit in Adelaide, alongside Pacific Island Nations. Turkey is also bidding to host the COP and is Australia's main rival for the bid. The decision could be announced any day now.
One thing is certain: if fossil fuel corporations and their lobbyists get access to COP31, they'll do their best to sabotage any chance of achieving ambitious climate action.
That's why the Australia Institute has called on the Albanese government to ban fossil fuel corporations and their lobbyists from COP31.
Banning fossil fuel corporations and their lobbyists from COP31 could give Australia an edge in winning the bid over Turkey by demonstrating our genuine commitment to tackling the source of the problem.
Let's be clear - coal, oil and gas companies are causing the climate crisis.
The United Nations, the world's scientists and the International Energy Agency have all made it crystal clear that to avert the worst consequences of global heating, the world must swiftly phase out fossil fuels.
These companies have no place at UN climate talks.
Yet, at last year's COP29 in Azerbaijan, the media reported that fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbered the delegations of almost every country, with at least 1770 coal, oil, and gas lobbyists granted access to the United Nations climate talks in Baku.
Oil deals were brokered on the sidelines. Ministers were courted at coal and gas-sponsored events.
It's how the climate negotiations consistently get derailed, delayed and watered down.
Australia is no exception. It's no surprise, really, considering we're the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels in the world.
Back when Scott Morrison was Prime Minister, Australia's official pavilion at COP26 in Glasgow proudly promoted gas giant Santos.
At the same UN conference, the Morrison government rejected joining a global pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, which about 90 other countries signed. Deirdre Chambers, what a coincidence!
Inviting fossil fuel companies and their lobbyists to the UN climate conference is inviting failure.
It will stifle calls to stop opening new gas and coal mines from Pacific leaders, scientists and people around the world.
The Australian government is working hard to convince the world that we should be chosen in partnership with Pacific Island Nations to host COP31 in Adelaide.
The UNFCCC, the body that decides the host, is due to announce its decision by September.
Banning fossil fuel corporations and their lobbyists from an Australia-hosted COP31 would not only show Australia is serious about tackling the problem, but it could even help the government secure the bid.
At previous COPs, it's clear that the presence of fossil fuel corporations and lobbyists has only led to weaker agreements.
In 2023, the president of COP28 was Sultan Al Jaber, who also happened to be the chief executive of the UAE's state oil company, Adnoc.
The Sultan claimed there was "no science" indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Ultimately, the wording "phase-out" of coal was weakened to "phase-down" in the final agreement hashed out in the final hours of the conference that year.
Science requires a phaseout of fossil fuels, yet time and again their lobbyists successfully delay and derail the world's attempts to save itself from sea level rise, extreme heat and more frequent and intense bushfires and floods.
The Labor government plans to use the COP31 conference, which will attract tens of thousands of international visitors, to showcase its Future Made in Australia new green economy agenda.
Investing in critical minerals processing, green metals and clean energy manufacturing, including battery and solar panel supply chains, is important.
It will help highlight the difference between Labor's priorities and those of the previous Coalition government on climate.
MORE EBONY BENNETT:
But Australia does not have a great track record at international climate talks. And talking up clean energy manufacturing doesn't erase Australia's main contribution to the climate crisis - our massive gas and coal exports.
Australia is the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels in the world. Australia continues to subsidise and approve fossil fuel expansion, with more than 100 gas and coal projects in development.
And one of the first acts of the newly elected Albanese government was to approve Woodside's enormous North West Shelf gas export extension.
So far, not so different from the "gas-led recovery" Coalition government on climate.
Emissions from gas export projects operating in Western Australia are making WA, Australia and the rest of the world hotter, and disasters like fires and floods more frequent and extreme.
Emissions from these exports are already greater than 153 individual countries, and greater than all of Australia's coal power stations combined.
Australia Institute research shows Woodside's North West Shelf gas export project has caused WA gas and electricity prices to triple since it was granted access to domestic gas in 2020, and the extension will see around $215 billion worth of gas given away royalty-free.
No gas exporter has ever paid petroleum resource rent tax, and most pay zero royalties.
Gas exporters have made $100 billion in windfall profits exporting Australian gas since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Australians have seen little benefit from these windfall profits, something the Treasurer could fix as part of upcoming tax reforms.
It's clear that fossil fuel lobbyists are some of the most effective operators on Earth, and banning them from COP31 would strengthen Australia's bid to host COP.
There's no doubt that hosting COP31 would be a big deal for the Albanese Labor government.
But only keeping fossil fuels in the ground will make COP31 a big deal for the planet.
- Ebony Bennett is the deputy director of the Australia Institute.
