---
title: Former Pacific Island presidents call out Australia's climate ambition
description: Two former Pacific Island presidents have called out the Albanese government’s hopes to co-host a UN climate summit, questioning how serious the new Australian government is about tackling global warming when new coal and gas projects are allowed to be approved on its shores.
---
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au)
[](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy)
The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Former Pacific Island presidents call out Australia's climate ambition
Tuesday, 13 September 2022
Two former Pacific Island presidents have called out the Albanese government’s hopes to co-host a UN climate summit, questioning how serious the new Australian government is about tackling global warming when new coal and gas projects are allowed to be approved on its shores.
In the latest in a long series of problems at Australia’s biggest domestic carbon polluter AGL’s unreliable coal power stations, the energy company has revealed that its broken Unit 2 at the Loy Yang A generator in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley faces another month offline.
And after a decade of fighting gas giant Santos’ climate-wrecking Narrabri project, the Gomeroi people have taken an argument fossil fuel producers often use to push for the go-ahead on their projects and flipped it on its head, making a climate change argument never seen before in a native title case.
[Former Pacific Island leaders Anote Tong and Thomas Remengesau Jr call out Australia's commitment to climate action](https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7898602/doesnt-seem-genuine-ex-pacific-leaders-question-australias-climate-stance/)
Former Pacific Island nation presidents have challenged the Albanese government to "walk the talk" on climate action and start phasing out of the fossil fuels which threaten the future of their region.
[How a novel climate change argument could help the Gomeroi people defeat Santos’ Narrabri project](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-13/gomeroi-fight-santos-narrabri-gas-project-climate-change/101428862)
The Gomeroi people have flipped one of Santos’ key arguments to go ahead with the massive Narrabri gas project, making a climate change argument never seen before in a native title case.
[Investors must collaborate and use pension capital to tackle climate crisis, says IFM boss](https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/a-lot-at-stake-investors-must-collaborate-and-use-pension-capital-to-tackle-climate-crisis-says-ifm-boss-20220912-p5bheu.html)
Investors must join forces to tackle the risks of climate change and support a smooth transition to a clean economy, says the head of the $199 billion fund IFM Investors, warning a lot is at stake “if we don’t get this right”.
[AGL reveals extended outage at broken Loy Yang coal unit](https://reneweconomy.com.au/agl-reveals-extended-outage-at-broken-loy-yang-coal-unit/)
AGL Energy has revealed that its broken Unit 2 at the Loy Yang A generator in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley faces another month offline after a fault was discovered in the repairs that require new parts to be made in Switzerland.
[Insurance brokers walk away from Carmichael coal mine in Australia](https://www.ft.com/content/b30d88b0-56b5-43ff-9ec1-83aced10e46f)
Two insurance brokers have walked away from the Adani coal mining operation as pressure grows on the industry to step back from projects that worsen climate change.
[Reasons for (cautious) optimism: the good news on the climate crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/commentisfree/2022/sep/12/reasons-for-cautious-optimism-the-good-news-on-the-climate-crisis)
While there’s no shortage of things going wrong, there is also evidence that action to combat the climate crisis is belatedly accelerating. In acknowledging that every fraction of a degree of global heating avoided makes a difference; The Guardian’s environment editor Adam Morton opines on some things to be positive about.
[Coal](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/coal), [gas](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/gas), [energy policy](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/energy-policy), [AGL](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/agl), [climate change](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/climate-change), [Pacific](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/pacific), [fossil fuel](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/fossil-fuel)
### Will you share with your friends?
[Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/former-pacific-island-presidents-call-out-australias-climate-ambition%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [Share on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Check%20out%20this%20thing%20from%20Greenpeace!%20https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/former-pacific-island-presidents-call-out-australias-climate-ambition%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dwhatsapp) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/former-pacific-island-presidents-call-out-australias-climate-ambition%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/former-pacific-island-presidents-call-out-australias-climate-ambition%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=)
[Go to the website](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
## More news
### [Political stoush erupting over Australia’s environment laws](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/political-stoush-erupting-over-australias-environment-laws)
A political stoush is erupting over a tweak to Australia's environment laws, with the federal...
### [Closure of Australia’s biggest coal-fired plant no threat to power](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/closure-of-australias-biggest-coal-fired-plant-no-threat-to-power)
As the New South Wales government decides on whether to extend the life of Australia’s biggest...
### [State commitments for 2030 put Australia within reach of global goals, but Morrison must step up](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/state-commitments-for-2030-put-australia-within-reach-of-global-goals-but-morrison-must-step-up)
State government emissions reductions commitments have put Australia within reach of meeting global...
Work like this is only made possible by our supporters. Greenpeace accepts NO government funding or corporate donations to remain impartial. To amplify meaningful climate activism in Australia, ***become a regular giver today.***
[Donate to Support Greenpeace](https://donate.greenpeace.org.au/)
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
Connect with us
**Call:** [1800 815 151](tel:1800815151)
Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past, present and future — and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia, the environmental movement and the Greenpeace crew.
© Greenpeace 2026. [Privacy Policy.](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/privacy-policy/)