Chris Bowen argues for more ambitious emissions targets, raising hopes for new commitments from his government

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The Australian climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has declared the landmark Paris agreement “is working” as it had brought the world back from “the brink of catastrophic 4C warming”, but argued countries must set the most ambitious emissions targets possible for 2035 to limit worsening global heating.

Giving Australia’s national statement on the conference floor at the Cop29 summit in Azerbaijan, he also pledged $50m towards a global loss and damage fund to help the world’s most vulnerable people to repair the damage from climate breakdown.