#cop31

#cop31

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.

Turkey bagged the hosting rights for COP31, while Australia reluctantly agreed to lead the summit's negotiations, ending a diplomatic standoff between the two countries over the presidency of next year's UN climate conference. Both countries had bid to host next year's COP, but Turkey emerged with greater support. Australia eventually compromised and agreed to a pre-COP event staged in the Pacific and to preside over the negotiations during COP31.

If well-delivered over the coming two years, these twin objectives might ultimately be viewed as the hallmarks of a nation that successfully left the climate culture wars for dead and cemented a legacy of new climate leadership.