Australian Ministers Kurum and Bowen Named to TIME's 2026 Climate Leaders List

Australian Environment Minister Murat Kurum and Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen have been named to TIME's 2026 list of the 100 most influential leaders driving business climate action, due to their leadership of the upcoming COP31 climate conference. Kurum, serving as COP31 president, and Bowen, leading negotiations, have set a central agenda for the November conference in Australia and Turkey: pushing for a global target of 35% electrification by 2035, up from the current 21% of global energy demand met by electricity. The push comes as the U.N. warns emissions must drop 18% within three years and 45% by 2035 to limit warming below 2°C. Kurum highlighted recent energy crises as a window for transition, with the "35-by-35" pledge potentially cutting fuel-import bills by over $400 billion annually.