Making headlines this week was Prime Minister Scott Morrison missing out on a speaking slot at the UN Climate Action Summit.

At the summit the UN Secretary General encouraged countries to declare a climate emergency. Earlier in the week at the Pacific Islands forum where the Prime Minister did speak, Fijian President Jioji Konrote said he refused to allow the Pacific Islands to be ‘sacrificial canaries in the coal-mine for coal burning countries.’ 

What does the snub mean and how do Australia’s climate policies affect international diplomacy? To discuss we were joined by Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland.