Pacific leaders demand an end to fossil fuel addiction

October 6, 2026 — 6:32pm

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The world must stop making false promises and end its addiction to fossil fuels, Pacific leaders have said at an island forum where the Albanese government has sworn to amplify the region’s views in upcoming global climate talks.

The comments were made on Tuesday afternoon as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Minister Chris Bowen sat down with delegations in Tuvalu, alongside former prime minister Julia Gillard, to participate in a “sautalaga”, a traditional way of holding a frank and respectful discussion to find common ground.

The emphasis on fossil fuel phase-out is significant because the Albanese government continues to approve coal and gas export projects. Bowen, who with host nation Turkey will serve as co-chair of the UN’s annual climate talks next month, has shifted his emphasis from the importance of a fossil fuel phase-out, which was a key to COP talks in Dubai in 2023, to the need to ramp up renewables and electrification.

“The science is settled, and the legal structures the world has built together are clear on our obligations,” said Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during the leaders’ meeting in Tuvalu on Tuesday.

“We must bring forward ambition, decarbonisation commitments, and implement the transition away from fossil fuels. That is........

© The Sydney Morning Herald