Australian taxpayers have been slugged with a $150 million bill for a United Nations climate summit in Fiji because the host nation cannot afford to pay.
The October event is a preparatory meeting for the global COP31 summit being held in Turkey in November, with Energy Minister Chris Bowen serving as co-president for negotiations.
Both Australia and Turkey made bids to host 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and late last year agreed that Turkey would host while Mr Bowen leads negotiations on “climate change solutions”, “accelerating clean energy and electrification”, and “growing global clean industries”.
Mr Bowen invited US President Donald Trump, new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese PM Sanai Takaichi to attend the Pre-COP in Fiji, but none have accepted so far, and Fiji is unable to pay for the event, 7News reported.
Australia’s Labor government has agreed to cover the full costs of planning, operating and broadcasting the event worldwide, including $17.2 million for event management, and $2 million for telecommunication and media services.
Another $2 million has been spent reserving several resort hotels for pre-COP attendees, although some of that money will be reimbursed when guests pay for their own rooms.
“Chris Bowen is spending over $20 million, taxpayers’ money, planning and broadcasting his own inauguration,” Coalition energy spokesman Dan Tehan said.
“Chris Bowen has serious questions to answer here. This is just his ego way, way out of control, and at the expense of people suffering energy hardship in Australia.”
But Assistant Energy Minister Josh Wilson said Pre-COP was a “really significant event” and said the investment was worth it “because of how important it is to our future”.
“The Coalition won’t miss an opportunity to pull Australia down,” he said.
The revelations come just days after Foreign Minister Penny Wong gave Fiji $15 million to combat its spiralling HIV crisis, and earlier this year gave the Pacific nation $30 million to help it keep fuel prices low.
Header image: Mr Bowen, right, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Facebook).
