Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks with former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern at Nadi in Fiji on Oct. 7, 2026. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is confident Australia will reach its 82 percent renewable energy target by 2030.
Addressing a pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi in Fiji, Albanese pointed to two decades of progress on renewables.
“When I attended my first COP meeting in Montreal in 2005 and 2006 as the climate change spokesperson, Australia had a renewable energy target of two percent, we now have a target of 82 percent over the coming years, and I’m confident that we will achieve it,” Albanese said.
He said that in December, renewable energy sources made up over 50 percent of Australia’s energy supply for the first time.
“And that was in the quarter in which there was more energy use than any previously, in a relatively short period of time, it shows what can be done,” Albanese said.
The pre-COP31 leaders’ event runs from Oct. 5 to 7 and is aimed at advancing ahead of the proper COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye in November.
Meanwhile, Climate Change Minister Bowen, who is president of negotiations for COP31, backed Albanese’s statement
“Australia’s renewable energy target was two percent, and now we’re at 50, and shooting for 82 [percent],” he told reporters.
Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor was critical of the event’s purpose.
“You know, this conference seriously, a pre-COP COP, what is this about? No one’s turned up [from outside the South Pacific] …” Taylor said on ABC News Breakfast.
“It’s not about this country and putting Australia first, and that’s what I'll focus on every day of the week.”
Meanwhile, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was critical of a lighting malfunction during the event.
“You can’t make this up. The lights have gone out at Chris Bowen’s multi-million dollar festival for climate change and renewables,” Hanson said on X.
“Just a sign of what’s to come if Australia continues down the path of net-zero.”
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