UN climate conference COP27 kicks off with Australia’s bid to co-host with the Pacific

The UN climate conference COP27 has officially kicked off in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, with Australia announcing a bid to co-host the 2026 summit with Pacific Island nations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has opted to give this year’s conference a miss, instead heading to meetings of ASEAN, APEC and the G20 in Cambodia, Thailand and Bali, which conflict with the second week of the COP. This has prompted Pacific leaders such as Anote Tong to suggest his absence means Australia “may not be in a position to make significant commitments at the talks.”

However, overnight Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy told the ABC that Australia supports having constructive discussions at COP27 on loss and damage finance and is seeking to better understand the options that best serve the needs of Pacific island countries.

But what is COP anyway? And why is this year’s so important? ABC, BBC, the Sydney Morning Herald, and the Guardian have got you covered this morning with explainers and analysis to bring you up to speed. 

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