'Most important in years': key climate summit kicks off

Scientists and advocates have backed a call by Australia's climate change minister for countries worldwide to do more to tackle the crucial issue as the UN's annual climate summit kicks off.

World leaders and experts are coming together for the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, which began on Monday.

It gets under way just days after incoming US president Donald Trump signalled he would pull America out of Paris Agreement climate targets.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific's Shiva Gounden is at the conference and says addressing the financial cost of climate change is integral.

"This year's COP may be the most important in recent years," he said.

"Countries including Australia must increase the quantity and quality of their climate finance pledges and lock in commitments to transition away from all fossil fuels."

Greenpeace noted on X the summit is being hosted by Azerbaijan "yet another country with fossil fuel interests".

Climate Minister Chris Bowen, who is representing Australia at the two-week summit, said his nation was punching above its weight on the world stage in reducing emissions.

But he said countries needed to aspire to higher targets.

"Maintaining momentum and maintaining high ambition at COP cannot be taken for granted," he said.

"A COP with a less-than-ideal outcome is not a good thing.

"We will be arguing for strong language on ambition, with the Dubai consensus as the absolute baseline."

The Dubai consensus was an agreement from leaders at the previous COP summit in the United Arab Emirates, which called for a transition from fossil fuels to allow for net-zero emissions by 2050 to be reached.

Peoples' health was worsening because of climate change and solutions were needed quickly, Monash University Associate Professor Angie Bone said.

"Policymakers attending COP have an obligation to their people to consider the health implications of climate change when striking co-operative agreements and resolutions," she said.

"To ignore this issue threatens to put at risk the lives of millions, with even bigger and more severe consequences than those we saw with COVID-19."

While the annual climate summits had done large amounts of work in reducing emissions, more needed to be done, Mr Bowen said.

"For 10 years, Australia had no role and no reputation in the international arena," he said.

"Our role at COP now is a signal that the international community has acknowledged the massive shift in approach between those who came before us, and our government."

Australia has signalled it will look to host the COP31 summit in 2026, with a decision expected at the 2024 event.