2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference

It's a fascinating area of study and thought-provoking activity.

Yeah, Tess, you can leave out some of the more internal political and institutional conversations in Palau because we are really interested in the preparations for COP31 and how the Pacific presents itself as a region to the rest of the international climate community.

And most importantly for the Pacific, the pre-COP in Fiji.

So we'd like to ask you some questions and just give us a flavor of some of the discussions at this PIF meeting.

It's so important that they're included since they're on the front lines of climate change.

It's ridiculous that they haven't been included before.

I'd love to understand, Tess, our last question is, what would you like to highlight from the PIF leaders meeting in Palau? Do you have any other priorities in the Pacific in the lead up to COP31?

um so we've covered a lot i think you know the the meat the mainstream media coverage of this meeting is it's a bit of a double-edged sword so because of all the geostrategic anxiety there is more media coverage so there were journalists there from everywhere and you know and in one sense that's a good thing you know it's good that it's getting more coverage but The problem is that the coverage is very narrow and it's very, like this geostrategic stuff is kind of squashes out everything else.

For further information, see Botswana Press Agency/Daily News Reuters and De Beers Group.

Türkiye puts infrastructure at the center of its COP31 climate agenda.

Türkiye is using its COP31 presidency to push a global goal for electricity to provide thirty-five percent of final energy consumption by twenty thirty-five, while shifting attention from climate pledges towards implementation.

Speaking in New York on the twenty-third of September, twenty twenty-six, COP31 President Murat Kurum emphasized investment in clean generation, electricity grids, storage, transport, and industry.

The proposed agenda also addresses the rapidly increasing electricity demands of artificial intelligence.

The target is not binding, but it reflects a broader change in climate diplomacy.

[outro music] You've just heard from Kyoto Tsuji, State Minister of the Environment from Japan, speaking at a side event at the 2026 high-level political forum on sustainable development.

Welcome to Climate Talks, the podcast that follows global climate negotiations, and this year the journey to COP31 held in Antalya, Turkiye, with Australia as president of negotiations and the Pacific hosting the PRECOP.

Climate Talks is produced by Melbourne Climate Futures and the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne.

I'm your host, Bec Markey Towler, and I'm joined by my fellow co-hosts, Jackie Peel and Cathy Oake.

Today we will be talking about the intersections between climate and young people, biodiversity and circular economy.

Before we turn to our guests, let's talk briefly about some of the latest COP news.

[outro music] So since we last spoke, Jackie and Cathy, we had the COP31 presidency announce the thematic day program for the COP.

And so one interesting point that I noted from this is that we've-- well, the leaders' summit, which typically happens at the very start of the COPs, will actually take place partway through, and it'll coincide with thematic days on zero waste and resilient cities in the built environment, so two areas that are really important to the Turkiye presidency.

Well, in the next few months, we expect at least one, maybe two more interest rate rises.

In October, the PM's going to be parading around Turkey for COP31, an event that will only serve to remind everybody our energy policy is cooked.

So, Stephen, I see you laughing, but, I mean, things could get worse.

No, no, look, I'm just laughing because the ghost or the elephant in the room from your question and Michael's answer was, did anyone mention Angus Taylor or the Liberal Party in your question or his answer? It was just fantastic.