The 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) is now set to be held in Turkey after Australia withdrew its bid to host the event. Under UN rules, the right to host the summit rotates among a group of countries including Western Europe, Australia, and others, and consensus is required.
Australia has agreed to back Turkey’s bid, in exchange for its climate minister, Chris Bowen, chairing the talks. The unusual arrangement, in which the COP president will not be from the host country, marks a departure from standard practice and has raised questions about how the partnership will operate in practice.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the compromise as an “outstanding result,” emphasizing that Pacific issues will remain a central focus. He noted consultations with leaders from Papua New Guinea and Fiji, though some Pacific representatives, including Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Solomon Islands leader Jeremiah Manele, expressed disappointment over Australia’s concession.
The agreement comes as a relief to delegates at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where delays in finalizing the COP31 venue had become a source of embarrassment for the UN. Australia had strongly advocated hosting the summit in Adelaide to highlight collaboration with Pacific island states vulnerable to climate change, while Turkey proposed Antalya, citing its previous concession in 2021 that allowed the UK to host COP26 in Glasgow.
Under the compromise, a pre-COP meeting will be held on a Pacific island, with the main conference taking place in Turkey. Bowen will hold full COP presidential authority, including managing negotiations, appointing co-facilitators, preparing draft texts, and issuing the cover decision, while Turkey will oversee logistical and venue arrangements.
Bowen acknowledged the concession, saying, “Obviously, it would be great if Australia could have it all, but we can’t. This process works on consensus, and without it, the summit would have defaulted to Bonn, Germany, leaving a leadership gap for a year.”
The compromise now awaits ratification by the 190+ countries attending COP30, with expectations that it will pass without objection.
