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Bula COP31!
Bula COP31 is a podcast for anyone wanting to understand what it means for Australia and the Türkiye to co-host COP31 in 2026, and why this moment is influential in the UNFCCC process. Australia will be putting the Pacific Islands at the forefront of the climate negotiations to ensure adaptation and infrastructure investments flow to the region.
Your hosts are Heidi Dumesich and Jack Whelan.
Jack is a proud boomer who started his sustainability career long before it was considered ‘cool’. His experience spans the earliest COPs and reaches across business, industry, government, development agencies, NGOs, and the UN. He’s worked with the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development; and across Asia-Pacific with the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility, Asian Development Bank, and World Bank. Jack was nominated by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the design team that established the IRIS initiative, supporting climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure in Small Island Developing States — work that sits at the heart of Pacific climate priorities.
Heidi Dumesich is a millennial environmental scientist focused on implementing practical solutions. She’s the seasoned podcaster behind Life on Planet A, and currently a Sustainability Manager at Ventia, leading an Infrastructure Sustainability Council rating for a major road project. Heidi brings a fresh, grounded perspective on climate action and how sustainability plays out across communities and sectors.
Bula COP31 explores what really happens behind the scenes of a COP — with a special focus on how Pacific leadership, values, and voices shape the global climate agenda. Through candid conversations with stakeholders across Pacific governments, Australian agencies, industry, civil society, youth, and community groups, we unpack how climate diplomacy in our region is driven by relationships, resilience, and shared responsibility.
Whether you're a policymaker, business leader, activist, Pacific climate champion, or simply COP-curious, this podcast is your guide to getting the most out of COP31 — and understanding how it can deliver for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Tune in, get engaged, and say Bula COP31!
Bula COP31!
Episode 'C' for Canberra: Reforming the COP: The Path to Efficiency
In this Episode ‘C for Canberra’ of G'day COP31!, Heidi and Jack explore recent calls by various civil society groups for reforms in the UNFCCC process - to address concerns about inclusivity, observer engagement, representation and participation. Some want so-called ‘vested interests’ to be limited or even excluded. The conversation focuses on efforts to involve diverse stakeholders in the climate dialogue to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Takeaways
- Australia's bid for COP31 remains uncertain as Turkey continues to assert its position.
- The UNFCCC process is evolving in response to calls for inclusivity and effectiveness.
- Observers are seeking a more prominent role in negotiations, but how?
- Regional climate weeks will facilitate broader engagement and geographical representation.
- Limiting participation by certain interest groups in COP events is a complex issue.
- Accredited NGOs are clustered in stakeholder constituency groups.
Resources:
- UNFCCC Constituency Focal Points - https://unfccc.int/documents/228031
- UNFCCC Party (Country) Groupings – see https://unfccc.int/party-groupings#:~:text=The%20Umbrella%20Group%20is%20a,Federation%2C%20Ukraine%20and%20the%20US.
- UNFCCC Message to Constituencies of admitted NGOs – Climate Week 2, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1-6 Sept 2025 https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Notification_NGOs_ClimateWeek2.pdf
- Article about Australia’s bid to host COP31, The Guardian –https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/28/albanese-will-need-to-resolve-the-standoff-with-turkey-if-australia-is-to-host-cop31
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Context of COP31
03:00 The UNFCCC Bond Climate Meetings and Australia's Role
06:07 Improving the COP Process: Efficiency and Inclusivity
08:25 Observer Engagement
12:40 Managing Overcrowding and Participation Limits
19:06 Regional Climate Weeks: A New Approach
28:18 Vested Interests and Their Impact on Climate Negotiations
34:00 Conclusion and Future Directions
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