Climate integrity summit 2026

The age of fossil fuels is ending – what will the exit look like for Australia?

"There isn't one country in the world that's said, 'you know what this fuel crisis reminds us, is we need more fossil fuels'."

— Hon. Chris Bowen, Climate Change and Energy Minister

The Australia Institute’s 2026 Climate Integrity Summit will bring together global political leaders, economists, advocates, artists, and musicians for a day of big ideas and bold conversations. 

It will examine Australia’s conflicting economic and climate policies and provide a space where we can discuss a more rational way forward together.

The age of fossil fuels is coming to an end, and geopolitical shocks to the global fossil fuel supply chain seem set to continue.

Despite this, Australia’s Prime Minister has refused to tax gas exports, continuing to give 50% of our export gas away for free.

Chris Bowen, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, and the President of Negotiations for the next UN climate talks, tells us that Australia will find exporting fossil fuels increasingly difficult. At the same time, other government ministers continue to approve new gas and coal fields, tying Australia to an economic future that may not exist.

Meanwhile, our regional Pacific family’s demand for Australia to stop expanding gas and coal mines is intensifying, but is being largely ignored.

The summit will position Australia’s contradictory policies against the backdrop of a growing global push to phase out fossil fuels and a domestic political landscape that is rupturing.