During a virtual meeting between the leaders of United Kingdom and Australia on February 16, they reaffirmed the two countries’ shared commitment to drive ambitious action to address climate change and its impacts, including through implementation of the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Paris Agreement, to keep 1.5 degrees of warming within reach, strengthen adaptation and resilience, and mobilize finance.
The UK and Australia have committed to taking action this decade, with Nationally Determined Contributions reflecting their highest possible ambition. The UK has committed to reducing its emissions at least 68% by 2030 on 1990 levels and Australia has committed to reducing its emissions 26-28% by 2030 on 2005 levels, and is on track to achieve a reduction of up to 35% on 2005 levels by 2030.
Both prime ministers agreed to continue to work together to reach net zero by 2050 and agreed to accelerate the development of technologies essential for reaching this goal through the Clean Technology Partnership, and with other countries through the Glasgow Breakthroughs, Mission Innovation and the Clean Energy Ministerial.
They emphasized their strong support for efforts to facilitate inclusive, clean energy transitions in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and agreed to work together through country platforms. Prime Minister Johnson welcomed Australia hosting an Indo-Pacific Clean Energy Supply Chain Forum in mid-2022, to help develop and preserve diverse, resilient and competitive clean energy supply chains.
The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to nature-based solutions and emphasized support for the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.
Image credit: iStock/ Frank Wagner
