Australia signs declaration to transition from fossil fuels

Organisations such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace and the Climate Advisory Group have welcomed Australia signing the Belém Declaration to Transition from Fossil Fuels at COP30.

“We welcome the Albanese government’s decision to join dozens of countries to sign the Belém Declaration on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels,” said ACF’s Climate and Energy Program Manager, Gavan McFadzean, from COP30 in Brazil.

“The declaration is a commitment to transition energy systems and exports from fossil fuels to renewable energy in a just and equitable way, and for wealthy countries to assist developing countries to bypass fossil fuels and adopt renewable energy as their economies develop, and energy needs increase.

“While perennial blockers including Saudi Arabia, Japan and Russia blocked progress in the formal decision, COP President Andre Correa de Lago used momentum from the Belém Declaration to commit to delivering roadmaps to phase out fossil fuels and deforestation.

“As COP31 President (Negotiations) it’s now for Australia’s Chris Bowen to deliver, both as part of the COP process and leading by example, to phase out fossil fuel exports at home.”

However, when it came to securing a strong formal agreement decision at COP30, many organisations said Australia was missing in action.

“When leadership was needed in the final days to stand with Brazil to deliver strong language for a fossil fuel phase-out as part of the formal COP30 decision, Australia sat on its hands,” McFadzean said.

“With a lead negotiation role secured for COP31, Australia needs to show stronger leadership than this.

“Signing the declaration alongside the formal negotiations is significant, but it’s disappointing Australia didn’t advocate publicly for a fossil fuel phase-out in the formal COP30 decision. When countries needed to stand up for global climate ambition, Australia watched on as the decision was weakened.”

Former climate advisor to the World Health Organization and Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne Arthur Wyns said, “I’ve been going to COPs for a decade, but this was by far the most difficult one. Not only did we face floods, fires and extreme heat, the geopolitics was really stacked against us in Brazil.

“Australia and Türkiye now have a big job ahead of them; they will have to shepherd a growing ‘coalition of the willing’ ready to rapidly phase out fossil fuels, while navigating the growing tension between those countries that are scaling up renewables and those that remain deeply dependent on the fossil fuel economy.”

David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said, “The great new hope from this COP is not the formal result, which is frankly shockingly weak, but the fact more than 80 countries threw their weight behind a fossil fuel roadmap, with many also signing the landmark Belém Declaration — including Australia, its strongest statement ever on fossil fuels.

“Australia must now commit to a clear plan and a timeline for the phase-out of fossil fuels, including exports.”

Despite the lack of a formal COP30 outcome on fossil fuels and deforestation as the summit concluded in Brazil, many welcomed the Brazilian Presidency’s commitment to deliver roadmaps for both by the next COP.

Sir David King, Chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, said, “Outside the COP process, momentum must now become delivery. This government must turn this political signal into real finance, real emissions cuts and credible just transition pathways. That is how we shorten overshoot, protect the most vulnerable and rebuild trust in the global response.”

Image caption: Houses on the banks of the Amazon river with forest. Combú Island, near the city of Belém Pará. Credit: iStock.com/Anderson Coelho