Coalition calls for Chris Bowen to quit COP 31 presidency role amid energy woes at home

The Coalition has called for Chris Bowen to quit his role chairing next year’s COP 31 climate change conference amid the energy crisis prompted by the US-Israel-Iran war.

Australia’s Climate and Energy Minister was appointed to the COP presidency with the United Nations for the next 12 months under a deal that handed rival bidder Turkey hosting rights for the conference.

Opposition deputy leader Jane Hume called for him to return his focus back home as Australia grapples with rising petrol and diesel costs, the impact of which is expected to trickle across the supply chain.

She questioned why Anthony Albanese had appointed a new fuel tsar Anthea Harris to coordinate the response to supply problems across Australia, insisting Mr Bowen should have stepped up to the role.

“The fuel tsar would be entirely unnecessary if Chris Bowen was doing his job from day one,” she told Seven’s Sunrise on Friday.

“I reckon the first thing that Chris Bowen could do here is potentially quit his job over in the UN, putting together climate change conferences and negotiations, because we need a full-time energy minister on the job.”

It comes as Mr Bowen welcomed Pacific Climate ministers in Brisbane on Thursday, who Australia will partner with to host a pre-COP meeting as part of the deal with Turkey.

While both nations initially vied to host the summit, a compromise was reached that Turkey would have the main event in Antalya in November, while the Pacific would get a smaller, informal dress rehearsal-type event in October.

As part of Australia’s contribution, Mr Bowen will serve as chief negotiator for the global climate talks.

Speaking in Brisbane on Thursday, Mr Bowen said he would “talk about many matters” with the Pacific Climate ministers, including the regional repercussions of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

“We will of course discuss the energy crisis and its impact on the Pacific as well as Australia. We’ve updated each other on our efforts,” Mr Bowen said.

“We’ve talked about our collaboration this year and beyond.”

Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan, however, criticised Mr Bowen for holding the meeting — insisting he was distracted in a crisis.

“Mr Tehan criticising me for meeting with the Pacific Climate Ministers yesterday, I thought was deeply unfortunate. I was very disappointed,” Mr Bowen said on Friday.

“Mr Tehan has been criticising our international engagement from day one. He’s wrong.

“I will be continuing my role in assisting the COP processes.

“Mr Tehan might not have the energy or the capacity to have an outward facing job as well as an inwards facing job, but I do.”

Despite Turkey being violated by several missile incursions since the start of the Middle East conference on February 28, Mr Bowen’s office confirmed there were no active discussions to shift the summit to Australia or its Pacific partners.

“Australia is working closely with Turkey and the Pacific. There are no plans to move the hosting from Antalya,” a spokesman from the Minister’s office told The Nightly.

“We look forward to welcoming world leaders to Fiji and Tuvalu in October.”