AUSTRALIA AGREES TO CEDE COP31 HOSTING RIGHTS TO TURKEY IN UN CLIMATE TALKS DEAL
Read Time:1 Minute, 41 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
Australia is set to relinquish its bid to host next year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) to Turkey under an unprecedented arrangement discussed on Wednesday, ending months of diplomatic standoff.
According to the proposal, COP31 would be held in Turkey, but the question of which country Australia or Turkey would preside over the summit and lead negotiations remains under discussion.
A final decision must be reached by consensus among nearly 200 countries currently meeting at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Hosting responsibilities are determined on a rotational basis among five regional blocs, with 2026 allocated to the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), which includes Turkey, Australia, Canada and several European countries.
Turkey and Australia have been competing for months to host the 2026 global climate summit. Canberra had sought to co-host the event alongside Pacific Island nations, which are among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels.
German State Secretary for the Environment, Jochen Flasbarth, who chaired the WEOG meeting where the proposal was discussed, described the arrangement as “innovative”. He said no immediate objections were raised but noted that the plan must be formally submitted in writing before any decision is made.
Australian Climate Minister Chris Bowen confirmed progress in talks but stopped short of confirming the arrangement.
“What we’ve been trying to do is get a solution which works for Australia, the Pacific and also the multilateral process. We’ll have more to say very soon,” Bowen said.
While competing bids for COP hosting are not unprecedented, officials say no contest has ever gone this far without resolution. If confirmed, the deal would mark an unusual separation of venue and presidency a structure virtually unseen in the history of COP negotiations.
The written proposal is expected shortly, after which the WEOG will reconvene to finalise its recommendation for adoption at COP30.
The outcome could set a precedent for future climate diplomacy, especially in cases where geopolitical and regional sensitivities collide with the urgency of global climate action.
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