Anthony Albanese to use UN General Assembly sideline speech to push for climate action
In a major speech opening the United Nations’ climate week, the Prime Minister will urge political leaders to step up efforts in combating rising emissions.
Political leaders have a duty to show the same courage as emergency workers in battling global warming, the Prime Minister says, as he lays out Australia’s climate action on the world stage.
Anthony Albanese will use a major speech on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to outline further global co-operation on reducing emissions.
The Prime Minister, who will give the opening keynote speech at the climate week event, will foreshadow extreme conditions ahead.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“In the worst of times, we often see the best of humanity ... we see it in our professional and volunteer firefighters and emergency service workers,” he will say in the speech on Tuesday, Australian time.
“In times of crisis, community comes to the fore ... as leaders, we must match their bravery.”
Mr Albanese will also use the speech to focus on climate action in the Pacific, which is being highlighted as part of Australia’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
Communities that have experienced multiple natural disasters, such as bushfires and floods, will likely face repeated trauma without stronger measures to combat climate change, he will warn.
“Knowing the next flood or fire isn’t a matter of if, but when ... we can’t rely on the fortitude of our people alone, as tough as they are,” the Prime Minister will say.
Artificial intelligence is also set to be in the spotlight at the UN during the General Assembly.
A major joint statement, which includes Australia as a signatory, will be released, calling for stronger controls for the technology.
The Prime Minister will also meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on the sidelines of the UN.
Child safety online, fuel security and defence measures are expected to be discussed by the three leaders.
The prime minister will also speak at a UN event on international law.
It follows Mr Albanese formally launching Australia’s bid to be on the UN Security Council for a two-year term in 2029 and 2030.
A vote for the spot won’t be held until mid-2028, but lobbying efforts will intensify during the Prime Minister’s visit to New York.
Mr Albanese said Australia’s role on the council would benefit ordinary citizens.
“Engagement with the world matters. It matters because it makes a difference to the cost of living, to inflation, to Australians’ way of life,” he told reporters in New York.
“That is why we can’t afford to not be engaged with the world.”
Australia has served on the security council five times since the UN was established following World War II.
The most recent stint was in 2013 and 2014, when Australia led a response to Russian-backed forces’ downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
Mr Albanese said that example showed what a spot on the council could achieve.
“I think there is a role for middle powers to engage and Australia has done that, as we’ve engaged with the war in Ukraine in the coalition of the willing,” he said.
Two countries are elected to the Security Council from the Western Europe and Others Group, which includes Australia.
So far, only Australia and Finland have put their hands up for a spot on the council.
