Australian NGOs have slammed the Australian Government’s leadership for failing to commit new and overdue funding for communities in our region impacted by climate disasters.
Sophie Hardefeldt, Deputy Head of Policy & Campaigns at ActionAid Australia, said: “Australia said it would use its Presidency role to improve access to finance for Pacific Island States, but you cannot access what doesn’t exist. While the cost of the climate crisis is skyrocketing, Australia and other rich countries are failing to deliver the climate finance they owe to the Global South. To have any credibility as a global leader, Australia must deliver on its promise by stopping subsidising the fossil fuel industry and delivering real funding to women and communities who are least responsible for the climate crisis.
“Climate finance is not a nice to have, it is life and death. For countries across the Pacific and the Global South, failure to meet the massive shortfall in climate finance means communities are left without early warning systems, are unable to adapt to climate impacts and are having to take on billions in loans to rebuild and recover from climate disasters.
“Debt repayments are having devastating consequences on women and girls globally with cuts to health care and public services increasing maternal mortality and causing 55 million women’s jobs to be lost.”
Si Qi Wen, Senior Advisor, Policy and Advocacy, Plan International Australia, said: “The world is overshooting 1.5°C, and we're asking girls to foot the bill. Across Nepal, the Pacific and beyond, girls are already paying for climate inaction with their education, health and futures. And just when we need climate finance most, public climate finance pledges from wealthy countries have fallen by more than 70%.
“Climate finance isn't charity. It's a lifeline, and a responsibility wealthy countries have already agreed to uphold. As President of Negotiations, Australia had an opportunity to demonstrate what real progress in international climate negotiations looks like, by turning commitments into tangible action. You cannot claim climate leadership while leaving the most vulnerable to pay the highest price.”
Josie Lee, Policy and Advocacy Lead, Oxfam Australia said: “At a time of dramatically escalating climate change impacts, like the horrific flash floods we saw in Nepal in August, it is shocking that Australia hasn’t announced new funding to help stop climate disasters pushing impacted communities into hunger, homelessness and poverty. This falls well short of the leadership we would expect of a COP President.
“Australia spends over ten times more on fossil fuel subsidies than it does on climate finance to our region. True leadership is ending our $16 billion annual subsidies for the polluting, risky and expensive fossil fuel industry, and reinvesting that money into climate change solutions at home and in our region that benefit everyday people by providing clean, safe and affordable renewable energy, and climate disaster prevention and recovery support.
“Oxfam research shows the costs of climate disasters have escalated dramatically in the last decade in small island and least developed countries. In 2025 the costs hit $16 billion and the number of people affected by climate disasters averaged 41 million people per year - that’s more than the entire Australian population. With such rising impacts, Australia and other wealthy countries who have benefited from creating the climate change problem must contribute our fair share to addressing it and we can fund it by making big polluting corporations pay.”
Julie-Anne Richards, Campaign Strategic Lead, Make Big Polluters Pay Alliance: “The lack of significant new and dedicated Australian climate finance commitments is disappointingly inadequate compared to the leadership expected of a COP President.
“As fires, floods, heatwaves and other impacts of climate change escalate to deadly extremes around the world, causing billions of dollars of destruction, the lack of climate finance is the number one stumbling block to higher climate ambition from low-income countries.
“It’s not clear why the Australian Government sought to host COP31 if it wasn’t willing to show leadership on this crucial issue. Despite a disappointing statement at the Leaders’ Summit, it is not too late for Minister Bowen to work with countries to agree clear next steps to ensure that coal, oil, and gas corporations pay for their climate damage as a way to ensure enough funds for climate finance at home and abroad.”
Denise Cauchi, CEO, Climate Action Network Australia, said: “As President of Negotiations, Australia put its hand up to shepherd climate progress. That means breaking the deadlock on global climate finance, and leading by example by making an ambitious new climate finance commitment to developing countries. At today’s Leaders Summit, rather than demonstrating real leadership for communities in our region, Australia was missing in action, pushing the costs of climate change onto the communities bearing the worst impacts of the climate crisis.”
For interviews in Antalya or Australia, contact: Amber Ahmad in Istanbul, Whatsapp: +44 7858618261
Notes to editor
- In 2024, Australia and other governments agreed to deliver USD 300 billion annually to developing countries annually by 2035 under the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance, but Australia’s climate finance pledge expired in 2025, and Australia has not yet announced its new multi-year climate finance commitment.
- Australia’s fair share of the new climate finance goal is estimated at AUD 14 billion annually by 2035. Civil society organisations are calling on Australia to triple its climate finance to AUD 11 billion over the next 5 years, in line with the tripling of the new climate finance goal.
- In 2026 global public climate finance provided to developing countries from developed countries decreased by 70% compared to 2025.
- In 2025 there was a 23% decline in overseas aid globally.
- Australia provided $16.3 billion in fossil fuel subsidies in 2025-2026 – this would more than cover Australia’s fair share of global climate funding obligations to vulnerable and low-income countries in our region.
- A levy on coal, oil and gas corporations could raise at least $22 billion per year to support communities to lead climate action in Australia and across the region.
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