COP31: Turkey, Australia butt heads over hosting 2026 UN climate summit after Baku meet falters

Australia and Turkey are locked in a standoff to host the 2026 edition of the COP summit after the COP29 in Azerbaijan did not bring fruitful outcomes. The Australian government is lobbying to host the COP31 Summit in partnership with Pacific nations, which are among the countries most threatened by climate breakdown.

Meanwhile, Turkey, which is classed as a developing country under the UN system, is looking forward to gaining the backing of several recent hosts in the same region, to keep the UN climate talks in the Middle East itself. It is pertinent to note that the COP30, which will be held next year, will be hosted by Brazil.

The tussle between Australia and Turkey over this matter is expected to be resolved behind closed doors at the COP29 Summit, which is now reaching its final stages in Baku, Azerbaijan. While the latest climate talk is scheduled to end on Friday, the nations who took part in the event disagreed on Wednesday night about how to channel climate funds to developing countries.

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Australia and Turkey seek to host COP31

Australia is playing a prominent role at COP29, alongside Egypt, in shepherding the new financial settlement through the complex negotiations and into a final deal. Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate change minister, elucidated the difficulties in reaching a consensus. “I heard from developing countries a requirement of $1.3tn of finance mobilised,” he told reporters on Wednesday, The Guardian reported. “But we heard different proposals for the split between the provided elements [grants] and the elements which would be mobilised [loans and private investment],” he added.

Bowen also expressed Australia’s intention to host the COP31 summit. He said he was respectful of Turkey’s bid but “clarity would be good for everyone involved – us, Turkey and all the parties, particularly our Pacific colleagues, who are very excited about the opportunities.”

If the summit is organised in Turkey, it would mean that COP will stay in the Middle Eastern/Central Asian region for four out of five years: COP27 in 2022 was in Egypt; COP28 in 2023 was in the United Arab Emirates; COP29 is currently being held in Azerbaijan. According to The Guardian, Australia is understood to have the support of 23 out of 29 countries in a group which is mostly made up of Western European nations.

“Of the 29 COPs, six have been held in the southern hemisphere, 23 in the northern hemisphere. It’s time,” Bowen pointed out. Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had told the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, during a side meeting during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro that his country would not withdraw its candidacy.

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With inputs from agencies.