Amid an ongoing stalemate between the two countries over climate summit hosting, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that Australia would not co-host the COP31 climate summit with Turkey, slated to be held in 2026.
According to the reports, Turkey had proposed jointly leading 2025’s UN climate summit with Australia. The discussions on the hosting standoff have remained unresolved until now.
Speaking to the reporters in Melbourne, PM Albanese said, “No, we won’t be co-hosting because co-hosting isn’t provided for under the rules of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
He added, “So that’s not an option, and people are aware that it is not an option, which is why it has been ruled out.”
Earlier in 2022, both Australia and Turkey had submitted bids to host COP31. Details say no country has withdrawn its submission. The UN wants to finalise the bids at 2024’s COP30 meeting, currently taking place in Brazil’s Belem.
What Australian Expert Says?
A senior fellow at Australia’s Smart Energy Council, Thom Woodroofe, noted that it would be difficult for Australia and Turkey to co-host COP31. He cited that both countries have very different priorities.
Considering the United Nations needs unanimity among the 28-strong group of countries to host COP31, hosting duties would default to Bonn in Germany, in case Australia or Turkey do not compromise. Meanwhile, Germany said they don’t want to host.
The Conference of the Parties (CoP), though a forum for discussing policies on climate action, it has become a platform from diplomatic gatherings to vast trade shows in recent years.
In these gatherings, host nations aim to promote their economic prospects. Also, the host nation of the CoP has the advantage of setting the agenda and leading the diplomacy needed to reach global agreements.
In the first week of November, PM Albanese had written to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, attempting to resolve the tussle. He expressed a wish that Australia seek to host the summit with Pacific island nations for the first time, since the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional diplomatic bloc of 18 countries, is backing Australia’s bid.
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