The Conference of the Parties (COP) has become the central arena for global climate diplomacy - where ambition is negotiated, finance is mobilised, and the pace of the energy transition is contested. With COP31 on the horizon, Australia sits at the intersection of global expectation, regional responsibility and domestic political constraint. This plenary explores how Australia’s international positioning, particularly its partnership with the Pacific region, feeds directly into the speed, credibility and politics of its own energy transition.