Scott Morrison is likely to skip the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow in November. The summit will see over 100 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, participating to discuss climate change and likely announcement of aggressive measures by the world leaders to tackle global warming.

Leaders of the G20, which includes Australia, will be convening in Rome a day ahead of the climate talks. Morrison was expected to attend the G20 summit and skip the climate conference. Even that is unlikely to happen now. There has been a lot of pressure on Australia to announce its roadmap of steps towards averting environmental disasters. (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-01/covid-climate-change-glasgow-morrisons-priorities/100505736)

Australia, one of the world's largest exporters of coal, is noncommittal. Morrison government has said in the past that it will continue to use and export fossil fuel well beyond 2030 while claiming that it will try and meet its climate goals. Morrison is likely to face heavy criticism from climate activists and even world governments if Australia doesn't present an aggressive plan, which the conservative government is unlikely to do. Many world leaders and climate activists, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres have called on the developed world to end the use of coal by the end of this decade. (https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/27/australia/australia-morrison-skip-climate-cop26-glasgow-intl-hnk/index.html)


Interestingly, Morrison is likely to come up with a unique reason for skipping the summit. Morrison is blaming the coronavirus quarantine requirements for the possible skipping. He has said that if he were to attend the conference, it would be his fourth two-week quarantine stint in six months and that he would be forced to spend in one building under quarantine "not being able to engage in my normal duties" as he "would like to." (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-01/covid-climate-change-glasgow-morrisons-priorities/100505736)

Although Morrison has said that the Glasgow summit is "important" to the world, he may depute a senior minister from his cabinet to face the heat at the UN COP26 climate summit that will be held from 31 October to 12 November.

Read more:

UK will be disappointed if Morrison doesn't attend the summit:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/29/uk-will-be-very-disappointed-if-scott-morrison-not-at-cop26-climate-talks

Why Australia is isolated on climate change?
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/27/australia/australia-morrison-skip-climate-cop26-glasgow-intl-hnk/index.html