The Australian Government has bid to host the United Nations climate conference (Conference of the Parties or COP) in 2026 in partnership with the Pacific. Hosting the COP is a major opportunity to safeguard Australia's security, while ensuring an economic future as a clean energy powerhouse. 

This report explains how hosting the event presents the opportunity to showcase Australia's advantages in abundant solar, wind, storage and innovation, to service big energy needs in the Asia-Pacific. It sets out to reaffirm Australia’s place within the Pacific and how hosting a COP is in Australia's economic and security interest, and the interests of the Asia-Pacific region.

Key findings

1. Climate change is a shared threat throughout the Pacific region, and no community is immune to the impacts. Our region’s collective wellbeing, safety and prosperity depends on how quickly we can drive down climate pollution this decade.
2. Australian and Pacific island diplomacy matters, and co-hosting the United Nations climate talks in 2026 is a critical opportunity to broker a new era of global climate action.
3. Tackling climate change is central to safeguarding regional security, and hosting the United Nations climate talks will strengthen Australia’s standing in the region.
4. Hosting the United Nations climate talks is an opportunity to recast Australia’s trading relationships in Asia and secure our economic future as a clean energy powerhouse.
5. A United Nations climate summit would be the largest diplomatic event ever held in Australia, delivering a de facto ‘world trade show’ and large financial windfall to the host city.
6. Australia’s bid to host the 2026 climate summit has strong support in the international community and at home, and if successful, presents six key opportunities for Australian and Pacific-led solutions.