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AAP
AAP
Tess Ikonomou

Australia must 'throw everything' at climate summit

Hosting a UN climate summit could deliver billions of dollars of investment to Australia's economy. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

Leaders need to "throw everything" at winning Australia's bid to host a key climate summit as the nation finds itself in a global race to net zero.

Australia has teamed up with the Pacific in a proposal to jointly host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31.

But the bid to hold the talks faces a challenge from Turkey.

Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes
John Grimes says the federal government needs to do "whatever it can" to secure the climate summit. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said Australia must secure the summit.

"It's time for the prime minister and foreign minister to throw everything at it, and our industry stands ready," he said.

"It actually takes all of us swinging behind this, but the government really, really needs to do whatever it can, because this is a big dividend for Australia.

"This is actually Australia at its best when there's a middle power ... out advocating on the global stage for something that is of the community and global benefit and interest."

The climate change conference would deliver billions of dollars to the Australian economy through trade deals, tourism and business exposure, he said.

The government will hold talks with leaders in Tuvalu, Palau, Samoa and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to discuss ways to amplify their voices as nations highly exposed to the impacts of climate-fuelled disasters.

Mr Grimes said Australia needed to work with the Pacific to achieve the world's first 100 per cent renewables region.

Palm trees and sand on Tuvalu
The government will hold talks on amplifying Pacific Island voices on the impacts of climate change. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

The head of the body representing the nation's solar and storage industries called on the government to commit to a new emissions reduction target for 2035 to reduce emissions in the 70 per cent range.

Australia was on-track to meet its legislated 43 per cent by 2030 emissions reduction target, Mr Grimes said.

The Paris agreement, which Australia and 195 other parties adopted in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and less than 2C.

It requires signatories to increase their emissions targets every five years and not water them down.

"The world is in the process of electrifying everything that can be electrified - transportation ... renewable energy and more, Mr Grimes said.

"They're not doing it because there is a UN mandate or a charter. 

"They're doing it because it saves them money. It's actually the cheapest thing to do."

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