Turkiye to host COP31 climate summit after Australia concedes bid

"Turkiye will host next year's COP31 summit in the city of Antalya, ending a long standoff with Australia over the location of the top United Nations climate meeting. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday morning that Australia had reached an arrangement with Turkiye to host negotiations in the lead-up to the 2026 UN climate meeting along with Pacific nations while Turkiye will assume the presidency of the official meeting."

"Australia had been pushing to host COP31 next year as a Pacific COP alongside low-lying South Pacific nations, which are increasingly threatened by rising seas and climate-fuelled disasters. Despite Australia's efforts, Turkiye refused to back down in its bid to host the summit. Turkiye had said that as an emerging economy, it would promote solidarity between rich and poor countries at its summit, which would have a more global rather than regional focus."

"Turkiye will now have just 12 months to plan the meeting at the Antalya Expo Center due to the unusually long process to secure hosting duties and the lack of procedures in place to handle a situation in which two countries wanted to host at the same time. The presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change traditionally rotates among five regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe and others."

Turkiye will host COP31 in Antalya, resolving the dispute over the summit location. Australia arranged to host negotiations and pre-meetings with Pacific nations ahead of the 2026 UN climate meeting while Turkiye assumes the official presidency. Australia sought a Pacific COP to prioritise low-lying South Pacific nations vulnerable to rising seas and climate-driven disasters. Turkiye maintained a global focus, emphasising solidarity between richer and poorer countries as an emerging economy. Turkiye faces roughly 12 months to plan the event at the Antalya Expo Center amid procedural challenges. Both countries fall within the same regional rotation, delaying Australia's next hosting opportunity by five years.

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