Australia's climate pariah status confirmed by UN Summit speaking list

2020-12-11

Australia has been confirmed as a climate pariah as the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit speaking list released today confirms the Prime Minister has been barred from speaking at the key international meeting.

The list also confirms the Prime Minister misled Parliament when he claimed he would be attending in the Summit.

The government this morning is also defying a Senate Order to release the rejection letter from the Summit organisers which would show the reasons why Australia has been barred.

Comments from Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP:

“Australia is now a climate pariah with the rest of the world turning their backs on us,” Mr Bandt said. 

“The world is sending Scott Morrison a clear message that his weak 2030 targets are not enough to tackle the climate crisis.

“With Donald Trump on his way out, there is now nowhere left for Scott Morrison to hide.

“Australia now sits with Russia and Saudia Arabia in the club of climate deniers.

“World leaders recognize we are on track for climate catastrophe unless everyone lifts their ambition, but Scott Morrison refuses to do what’s needed to protect Australia and its people.

“The Prime Minister is now scrambling to create a fig leaf for his humiliation by using a Pacific Islands climate roundtable tonight to announce Australia would no longer cheat on its climate targets with so-called Kyoto credits.

“If he bullies the Pacific Island leaders like he did at the last Pacific Islands Forum, Scott Morrison risks further damaging our relationship with our neighbours.

“Committing to science-based 2030 targets and a green recovery would also help with our big problems with China.

“It is not too late for Australia. The Prime Minister should change course and join with President-elect Biden and Europe and lead the world in confronting the climate emergency.”

LIST OF CONFIRMED SPEAKERS ON 10 DECEMBER, 17:00
Afghanistan, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Iceland, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Nations, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe

https://climateambitionsummit2020.org/