Australia has come to COP31 seeking to establish itself as a serious global climate player, with the Pacific at the centre of its diplomatic ambitions.
But its efforts at this week's UN climate change conference here in Türkiye are exposing the contradictions in current climate politics, both internationally and at home.
The Albanese government is trying to demonstrate leadership without making promises it cannot deliver, particularly on fossil fuels.
That pragmatism has defenders, but it also leaves Australia vulnerable to accusations that it is avoiding the most difficult questions.
Meanwhile, the Coalition's attacks on the cost of the summit illustrate how far removed the domestic political debate can be from the geopolitical stakes.
In his opening address at the leaders' summit in the Turkish city of Antalya, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered what he intended as a rallying call to assist the likes of Tuvalu and other Pacific nations, for whom climate change is an acute, existential threat.
The reception from the country officials in the plenary session was polite, if not a little indifferent, from those sitting toward the back of the room in view of the media.
That's not to say Australia isn't achieving its core aim of raising up Pacific voices to a level not previously experienced at this summit, but with more time spent on spruiking…
