Bowen Defends $150 Million Price Tag to Chair COP31 Climate Event

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy of Australia, Chris Bowen, speaks during the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Para State, Brazil, on Nov. 17, 2025. Pablo Porciuncula/AFP via Getty ImagesThe federal energy minister has labelled his counterpart the “biggest hypocrite in parliament,” as he snapped back at criticisms of his taxpayer-funded travel for a major climate conference.Chris Bowen is due to spend more than $150 million (US$107 million) on the United Nations’ 31st Conference of the Parties meeting, known as COP31, in his role as president of negotiations.