Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen's 'Acknowledgment of Country' at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai ignited debate after he bizarrely started his speech with the words usually reserved for ceremonies home soil. 

Bowen used the podium to signal the Labor government's 'commitment to integrating First Nations people into the nation's climate response and clean energy future.' 

"I begin with an acknowledgement that at the heart of action on climate change must be profound respect for those people who have cared for our respective lands for millennia – Indigenous people across the world," he said.

"I reaffirm our government's commitment to the inclusion of our First Nations people in our climate change response and clean energy future.

"Recognising that respect for Indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices is critical." 

As the Cop28 host, the United Arab Emirates, a major fossil fuel exporter, faces scrutiny over its hydrocarbon sector, constituting a substantial portion of its GDP and government revenues. Emiratis enjoy heavily subsidised fuel prices, contributing to high per capita CO2 emissions.

President Sultan Al Jaber, also the CEO of Adnoc, defended the role of fossil fuels, dismissing a phase-out as impractical for sustainable development.

In stark contrast, Bowen advocated for a fossil fuel phase-out, talking up Australia's progressive march towards globalist climate targets.