Australian team in Turkey as $148m is set aside for the country’s COP31 role

Australia has sent a record 193 official representatives to the COP31 climate summit in Turkey, with taxpayers covering the cost of travel, accommodation and other expenses.

The fortnight-long conference and associated pre-COP meetings come as Australian households face continued pressure on their budgets. Contracts disclosed through AusTender show $2.26m has been committed to support the delegation, including $1.079m for the Australian pavilion, $873,000 for hotels and $32,000 for coffee supplied to conference attendees. A separate $148m has been allocated over three years in the 2025-26 Budget to fund Australia’s role in COP31 and the Pacific pre-COP.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has said $50m of the $148m allocation will cover direct conference costs, with the remainder set aside for engagement with Pacific nations. The delegation includes a range of specialist officials, including lead negotiators, Australian Federal Police personnel and experts working across nature, forests, mountains and ocean support; But the list also includes roles such as a luggage liaison officer for media travelling with the Prime Minister, a senior protocol officer and a “Youth-Led Climate Forum Focal Point and Youth in department of climate change”.

The government has been scrutinised for the scale of the taxpayer-funded commitment to COP31 as households continue to face pressure from higher living costs and electricity bills. Shadow infrastructure minister Bridget McKenzie said the money should have been directed towards projects Australians relied on.