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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 'J' for Jervis Bay: Bula COP31 - Pacific in the Spotlight
In this episode, Heidi and Jack discuss the outcomes of COP30 and of the COP31 hosting bib negotiations, reflecting on Australia's role in the negotiations and the implications for the Pacific Islands. They delve into the contentious issue of fossil fuels, the significance of unilateral trade measures like carbon border adjustments, and the importance of consumer responsibility in addressing climate change. The conversation highlights the need for collaboration and innovative solutions moving forward, particularly in the context of the Pacific region.
Time Stamps:
3:19 Thoughts on COP31 hosting bid outcome
8:50 Fossil Fuel Roadmap
18:44 Unilateral Trade Mechanism Debate
Keywords
COP 30, climate change, Australia, fossil fuels, negotiations, Pacific Islands, trade measures, carbon emissions, consumer responsibility, climate finance
Sources mentioned in the podcast:
Trump trade wars keep Labor's carbon tariff on ice
Colombia Press Conference - Declaration Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels at COP30
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