'Swarm' of fossil fuel lobbyists coming to COP31, former SA premier warns
Mr Rann, who now chairs the UK board of the not-for-profit Climate Group, spoke on Thursday evening. (ABC News: Steve Opie)
In short:
Former South Australian premier Mike Rann has criticised the gas industry and warned that lobbyists will attempt to impede climate action at the COP31 summit next year.
Mr Rann said Australia is "often seen internationally as walking both sides of the street on climate".
What's next?
A decision has not yet been made as to whether Adelaide will host next year's COP31 summit.
Former South Australian premier Mike Rann says gas has become a "lifeline" for fossil fuel polluters akin to what vaping is for the tobacco lobby, as he warns that "battalions of lobbyists" will attempt to frustrate climate action at next year's COP31 summit.
Ahead of a looming decision on whether Adelaide will host the UN's major climate conference in 2026, Mr Rann warned on Thursday evening that Australia was "often seen internationally as walking both sides of the street on climate" due to its continued approval of coal mines and "massive embrace of a gas industry continuing well beyond 2050".
The former Labor premier, who led South Australia from 2002 to 2011 and now chairs the UK board of the not-for-profit Climate Group, said he was "appalled that multinational gas companies are making massive, multi-billion [dollar] profits from exporting Australian resources while paying little tax".
"For the Australian fossil fuel industry, maintaining an ongoing, bipartisan commitment to gas exploration, production and almost tax-free exports is their central objective," he said.
"They have been doing very well so far, and for fossil fuel polluters, gas seems to have become the lifeline that vaping was for the tobacco lobby."
Mr Rann, who was speaking in Adelaide at the Dr Hugh Saddler Memorial Lecture hosted by progressive think tank The Australia Institute, acknowledged the federal government's efforts to secure COP31.
Australia remains locked in a diplomatic stalemate with Türkiye over hosting rights for the November 2026 event, with a decision expected at the COP30 summit currently underway in Brazil.
If Australia's bid is successful, Adelaide could be hosting upwards of 30,000 people from across the world for climate talks.
Dr Hugh Saddler Memorial Lecture hosted by progressive think tank The Australia Institute. (ABC News: Steve Opie)
Mr Rann said COP31 would "eclipse the economic impact and international profile of any event in this city's history".
"But we've got to remember that COPs are messy with their climate outcomes, mostly disappointing with only incremental progress registered in the final text that has to be agreed by close to 200 nations," he said.
"Every COP attracts a swarm of many hundreds of fossil fuel lobbyists corralling delegates.
"Politicians might say they can't be bought but over the years, some have clearly been rented when donations were big enough."
'Battalions of lobbyists'
Last year, more than 1,700 fossil fuel lobbyists attended COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to research from global advocacy coalition Kick Big Polluters Out.
Mr Rann cited this figure to warn about the influence of the fossil fuel industry on COP negotiations.
"At a series of COPs, the fossil fuel lobby have fought hard to prevent the internationally-agreed text issued at the end of each conference from laying the blame for climate change on fossil fuels, or, even worse, prescribing a timetable for their phasing out," he said.
"It's not just countries like Saudi Arabia leading the charge to frustrate climate action — amongst the battalions of lobbyists are those representing companies wholly owned by governments who publicly tell a different story.
"They are all in Brazil right now and will be coming to COP31 desperate to avoid any commitment to phase out the cause of the problem that threatens billions of people on our planet."
Mike Rann when he was premier of South Australia in 2011. (ABC News)
For an Australian COP to be "a real success", Mr Rann said the Albanese government should announce it would "stop approving new or expanded coal mines" and "be frank with the Australian people about whether it sees gas as a transition fuel to a Net Zero future or as something more".
Mr Rann did not criticise the Malinauskas Labor government in his speech; rather, he credited the government for returning Labor to office with "renewed vigour on climate". But the former premier's rhetoric on the gas industry contrasts with the current government's support for more gas exploration, recently demonstrated by Premier Peter Malinauskas public advocacy for the Narrabri gas field expansion in New South Wales.
Mr Rann was later asked at a Q&A session how the gas industry influenced COP conferences.
“Essentially, they just want to get a hold of any delegate and try to convince them – I’m going to be polite here – convince them to say ‘look, not yet. Great idea, but not yet,’” he said.
"And they’re constantly promising there’s a new solution.
"I got this when I was premier – a number of people from various energy organisations were saying to me … 'you don’t need to be quite so aggressive about this because there's going to be carbon capture and storage just around the corner.
"That was in 2004 I was told that – and that is exactly the line that is being used today."
Australian Energy Producers chief executive Samantha McCulloch said that "without further natural gas exploration and development in Australia, the lights will go out and manufacturing will shut down".
"It is manifestly incorrect and ill-informed to say that the oil and gas industry does not pay tax," she said.
"The latest Australian Taxation Office figures confirm oil and gas is Australia’s second largest corporate taxpaying sector and in 2024-25 the industry is forecast to pay $22 billion in taxes and royalties to state and federal governments."
A Malinauskas government spokesperson said the Premier has "enormous regard for Mike Rann", who has been "an important source of advice for Premier Malinauskas' bid for Adelaide to host COP in 2026".
But they added that the government's position on the domestic supply of gas is "clear".
"Without the firming capacity of gas generation we will not reach our world leading position of 100 per cent net renewable energy next year," the spokesperson said.
"Gas is also essential to decarbonise coal burning heavy industry like the Whyalla steelworks."
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen has been contacted for comment.
Adelaide's COP wait continues
Mr Rann said he thought Adelaide’s chances of winning COP were "still pretty good", suggesting Germany’s aversion to holding the conference may have strengthened Australia’s negotiating position.
Meanwhile, Mr Malinauskas said he was waiting on advice from the federal government as to whether he should fly to Brazil to make Adelaide's case for COP31.
The premier has a flexible plane ticket booked but said "with every day that goes by, the chances of me going diminishes".
"If I get a phone call from [Foreign Minister] Penny Wong, [Climate Change and Energy Minister] Chris Bowen or the prime minister and they say 'look, best you go over', then I'll do it," Mr Malinauskas said on Thursday.
The SA government has been preparing to host COP31 despite no announcement. (ABC News)
The premier said both Australia and Türkiye were "determined" to host COP31.
"Australia, and more specifically Adelaide, is far better placed to host this event, particularly given our demonstrated action in South Australia on climate change,"Mr Malinauskas said.
"We're ready to go. We think we'll host probably one of the best COPs we've had in a long time."
If Australia and Türkiye cannot reach a compromise, next year's summit will default to the UN's climate headquarters in Bonn, Germany.
The COP30 summit in Brazil ends on November 21.