UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have called on world leaders to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, putting pressure on Australia and Türkiye to turn their COP31 leadership roles into concrete action.
Guterres delivered a blunt message to world leaders at the COP31 high-level segment, declaring that “fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs” and warning that the fossil fuel industry’s political influence was obstructing efforts to tackle climate change.
Lula, a former president of COP30, urged countries to develop national roadmaps for a just transition away from fossil fuels, building on commitments and momentum from last year’s climate summit in Belém, Brazil.
Climate advocacy organisation 350.org says the calls highlight the need for COP31 co-presidents Australia and Türkiye to establish a clear process for advancing the transition away from coal, oil and gas.
The organisation criticised the lack of progress on the roadmap process, despite growing calls from governments, the United Nations and civil society.
It also pointed to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s COP31 address, which made no mention of fossil fuels.
Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org Pacific and Caribbean Programme Manager, said Guterres and Lula had made clear that governments must move beyond recognising the problem and begin implementing national transition plans.
“António Guterres has said what the science and the people on the frontlines have been telling governments for years: fossil fuels belong in the past. Lula has made clear that countries must now turn the commitment to move away from fossil fuels into fair and funded national plans,” Lutunatabua said.
“The question is whether Australia and Türkiye are prepared to lead, or whether they will allow this moment to slip away.”
Lutunatabua said Australia could not claim climate leadership while remaining silent on the coal, oil and gas industries driving the climate crisis.
He called on Australia to establish a presidency-led process for developing national transition roadmaps, supported by clear timelines and climate finance, with the work feeding into the next Global Stocktake.
He said electrification must be powered by renewable energy, expand access to affordable electricity and be supported by climate finance.
“We cannot simply build more electricity infrastructure while leaving fossil fuels in control of the energy system – or leave developing countries to pay for a transition they did not cause,” he said.
350.org has also launched an open letter to Albanese, urging Australia to use its COP31 co-presidency to advance a fair and fully funded transition away from fossil fuels.
The letter calls for renewable-powered electrification and increased climate finance to support countries most vulnerable to climate change.
350 Australia chief executive Te Raukura O’Connell Rapira said Australia must take three concrete steps to demonstrate climate leadership.
These include advancing national roadmaps for a just transition away from fossil fuels, publishing its own roadmap with an ambitious deadline to phase out coal, and establishing a presidency-led process to carry the work forward towards the second Global Stocktake.
She also called on Australia to champion renewable-powered electrification and commit AUD$11 billion in international climate finance over five years.
“These are not optional extras. They are the minimum steps Australia must take if it wants to be remembered as a country that helped move the world beyond fossil fuels, rather than one that stood in the way,” O’Connell Rapira said.
350.org said COP31 must deliver progress towards practical and adequately funded transition plans rather than another declaration of concern over climate change.
It said Australia now had an opportunity to help accelerate the global shift away from fossil fuels or risk holding back the action needed to address the climate crisis.
