Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele says she is surprised data centres have not been a focal point of the COP31 climate conference.
Speaking to the Lorikeet from Türkiye, Boele pointed to the significance of centres globally as she discussed the surge of the “hyper-local issue” in her own electorate, where construction for multiple large-scale data centres is underway.
Context: COP (Conference of the Parties), is the United Nations decision-making body on climate issues. It occurs annually, and is where international climate change agreements are made, such as the Kyoto Protocol or Paris Agreement.
This year marks the 31st COP, co-hosted by Australia and Türkiye. Australia has a significant role to play, as Energy Minister Chris Bowen is acting as the President of Negotiations.
Bradfield to Antalya: Independent MP Nicolette Boele is also attending the conference, styling herself as a scorekeeper to “hold the government accountable for what they broker in the room”. Her travel expenses are privately funded.
As Albanese and Bowen make speeches at the conference about the need to act on climate change, Boele claims Australia’s approval of major fossil fuel projects is a common topic of discussion on the conference floor.
Since coming to power in 2022, the Albanese government has approved, extended or expanded 39 coal, oil and gas projects.
“If you're a Pacific Island country, you're going: hang on a second … but you are one of the largest exporters of fossil fuels anywhere in the world,” she said.
While typically critical of the Albanese Labor government on the issue of climate, Boele said she believed she was seeing Minister Bowen “in his element” at the negotiating table.
“At home he's one member of the cabinet, and he has a lot of push and pull with some very strong ministers … Here, while he absolutely has a good picture of Australia's interests, watching him working for that kind of ambition on energy security and climate is quite impressive”.
Show me the data: Boele said she was surprised at the lack of discussion around data centres and their impact on global climate goals. In the North Shore, the proliferation of centres has emerged as a prominent local issue, specifically with regard to the energy demands and use of diesel.
Asked whether the conversations she was having at the conference aligned with those she was having while doorknocking in Pymble, Boele said that these often complicated discussions — about global targets and big picture climate policy — were already happening across her electorate.
“Eleven percent of people [in Bradfield] work in finance … we're overrepresented in people who work in clean energy and climate solutions … When I was elected last year, climate change and acting on it was in the top three issues”.
Thumbnail: Basili Sandro via ABACA