AFTER THE ELECTION, A BIGGER STAGE: WHY COP31 MATTERS FOR AUSTRALIA AND THE PACIFIC

By Dermot O’Gorman, CEO WWF-Australia 

Australia’s recent federal election has delivered momentum, not just at home, but for global leadership -  as the Bonn Climate Conference and the crucial COP31 host decision draws near.  

Adelaide is on the cusp of something historic. 

If Australia secures the bid, the Prime Minister has backed it to host the summit. That means South Australia has an Australian first opportunity to welcome the world to its capital and showcase its leadership in renewable energy and climate innovation, alongside Pacific nations. 

Like athletes preparing for the Olympics, we set out two years ago with a goal in sight: to bring the world’s largest climate summit to our shores, with the Pacific.   

Hosting COP31 could be our Olympic moment – a chance to reset, to showcase our potential, and to centre Pacific leadership. As a country with power, privilege and historic responsibility, Australia must use its platform strategically and for the good of those most affected by climate change.   

Over the next few weeks, the international community will have the chance to endorse the host country for COP31¹. It is my hope that our bid will not only be successful, but that the incredible momentum from this election can spur us on to a history-making COP.  

At a time of rising global tensions and deepening climate impacts, the world needs a summit that is anchored in frontline realities, that centres First Nations and Pacific leadership, and that strengthens the multilateral system as a vital platform for cooperation, ambition, and collective action. 

Australia’s role must be clear: to stand beside, not in front of, Pacific nations – and to help create the conditions for an ambitious, inclusive and action-driven COP. 

The road to this moment has been built collectively. 

Governments across the Pacific, Australian state and federal agencies, businesses, First Nations leaders, communities and climate advocates have all contributed to shaping a vision for COP31 that is both practical and bold. 

Our work continues, with the first COP31 Pacific civil society meeting scheduled for July, a vital milestone to ensure Pacific leadership remains central as preparations accelerate. 

An Indigenous Troika, already in motion, is a powerful opportunity to strengthen collective climate goals and centre Indigenous leadership as we look ahead to COP30 in Belém, Brasil, and COP31, hopefully hosted in Oceania.  

Key COP issues including – operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, a reliable flow of climate finance, and a global stocktake that drives real emissions cuts – demand urgent, coordinated attention from COP30 to COP31 and beyond. 

Hosting COP31 would also deliver tangible economic benefits for Australia and the region. Major global events like the COP generate infrastructure investment, tourism spending, innovation partnerships and business opportunities. Analysis suggests that hosting COP31 could deliver significant direct and indirect economic value². 

Climate action is often framed as a cost, but a regenerative economy will not only restore the environment, it will strengthen our economy in ways that benefit everyone. This is a chance to show it’s an opportunity that delivers for people, nature and our future alike. 

From wind farms on the Eyre Peninsula to solar breakthroughs in Port Augusta, South Australia has long punched above its weight in clean energy. This is a generational opportunity to create a summit that lifts ambition, accelerates action, and puts the most affected communities at the heart of global climate diplomacy. 

With humility, urgency and solidarity, Australia must do everything in its power to centre First Nations guidance, back Pacific climate leadership, and deliver a COP31 that meets the moment.  

From Belem to Adelaide, the road to COP31 must be paved with inclusive diplomacy and the political will to turn ambition into outcomes. 

The future demands nothing less.