COP31 to Be Hosted in Turkey After Australia Withdraws Bid

The 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) will take place in Turkey following Australia’s unexpected withdrawal from its bid to host the event. This agreement, reached during ongoing negotiations at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, resolves a protracted deadlock within the UN regional grouping responsible for selecting the host nation.

Under the guidelines set by the UN, the responsibility for hosting COP31 fell to the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG), which includes both Australia and Turkey. Despite initial reluctance from both parties, a compromise was achieved: Turkey will host the conference in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, while Australia’s climate minister, Chris Bowen, will serve as COP president. This arrangement is notable because it diverges from the traditional practice where the COP president is usually selected from the host country.

Bowen expressed confidence in this unusual leadership structure, stating, “As COP president, I would have all the powers required to guide negotiations — from appointing co-facilitators to drafting the cover decision.” He also confirmed that Turkey will appoint a venue president who will oversee logistics, scheduling, and operations for the conference.

The agreement further includes a commitment to hold a pre-COP meeting on a Pacific island state, which serves as a concession to climate-vulnerable Pacific Island nations. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed this outcome as “an outstanding result,” emphasizing that Pacific climate priorities would remain “front and centre.” He mentioned discussions held with leaders from Papua New Guinea and Fiji regarding this arrangement.

Despite this positive outlook from the Australian government, key Pacific leaders expressed disappointment with the outcome. Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko conveyed his dissatisfaction, stating, “We are all not happy. And disappointed it’s ended up like this.” Similarly, Solomon Islands leader Jeremiah Manele had previously indicated that he would be “disappointed” if Australia did not secure hosting rights.

Australia had invested considerable effort in lobbying for Adelaide to be the host city for COP31, proposing a co-hosted summit alongside Pacific Island nations. The lack of consensus had become a source of embarrassment for the UN climate system, raising concerns that failure to reach an agreement might force the conference back to Bonn, Germany, the location of the UN climate secretariat. Bowen criticized this potential scenario, labeling it “irresponsible” given the pressing global climate emergency.

Turkey argued that its claim to host COP31 was strengthened by its decision to step aside in 2021, allowing the UK to host COP26 in Glasgow. With the recent agreement, Turkish officials are anticipated to move quickly into planning once the deal is ratified by the more than 190 countries attending COP30. While formal approval from the full UN climate assembly is necessary, diplomats suggest that objections are unlikely due to the complexities involved in reaching this compromise.

As COP30 progresses in Brazil, the partnership between Australia and Turkey represents a significant shift from decades of COP hosting traditions. Whether this dual-led approach becomes a new standard or remains an isolated incident will depend on the effectiveness of the upcoming COP31. For now, this breakthrough concludes a prolonged stalemate and sets the stage for a unique global climate summit.