Australia’s unconventional Cop31 deal puts Chris Bowen at the helm of the world’s most complex negotiations. It’s a huge opportunity

Chris Bowen with Turkey’s environment minister, Murat Kurum, at Cop30 in Brazil. ‘While Bowen’s role will not formally kick off until Cop31 opens next November, in reality it begins next week.’ Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

The Cop30 climate conference has finally come to an end, with Australia having lost out on the grand prize of hosting next year’s gathering. But Australia’s formal partnership agreement with Turkey nevertheless provides an opportunity to secure unparalleled global influence and turbocharge our own transformation to a net zero, green export economy. Here are three ways to make it happen.

First, Chris Bowen’s new role as Cop31 “president of negotiations” puts the climate and energy minister at the helm of the most complex and consequential multilateral process in the world.