Brazil: Turkey will host the COP31 climate conference in November 2026 after Australia withdrew its long-running campaign to bring the summit to Adelaide. The decision ends more than three years of lobbying by the Australian government and marks an unusual compromise reached at the COP30 meeting in Belém, Brazil.
Under the arrangement, Australia will still play a major role at the summit. Climate change minister Chris Bowen is expected to lead the climate negotiations in Antalya, while Turkey will assume the presidency as the official host. Bowen said the plan, which must be approved by the conference plenary, aims to prevent the process from getting stuck in a diplomatic deadlock.
He indicated the deal may include a pre-COP31 gathering on a Pacific island to raise funds for regional climate resilience. Australian officials argued that pushing the bid further could have sent the issue to the UN climate headquarters in Bonn, delaying decisions for a year and weakening global cooperation at a critical time.
Australia’s retreat was a disappointment for climate advocates and clean industry groups at home, who had supported the bid since it was first announced in 2021. Several Pacific leaders were also frustrated, having expected to co-host the event with Australia and highlight the severe climate threats facing their communities. Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister, Justin Tkatchenko, voiced strong dissatisfaction with the outcome.
2026 BM İklim Zirvesi’nin (COP31) Türkiye’de düzenlenecek olmasını büyük bir memnuniyetle karşılıyorum.
Bu önemli zirve, iklim değişikliğiyle mücadelede Türkiye’nin üstlendiği sorumluluğun ve ortaya koyduğu vizyonun dünya çapında tescilidir.
Ev sahipliği nedeniyle ülkemizi… pic.twitter.com/y5u0yB7ToI
— Uğur İbrahim Altay (@u_ibrahim_altay) November 20, 2025
The shift became clearer this week when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signalled that Australia would not oppose Turkey’s offer if a consensus formed around it. His comments came shortly after Bowen had publicly stated that Australia was still fighting for the bid, prompting speculation that the prime minister’s intervention softened Australia’s position.
Some observers noted that Albanese has not attended a year-end climate summit since taking office. They also pointed to reported concerns within the government about the cost of hosting Cop31, which Australian media said could exceed A$1bn.
Despite losing the host role, Albanese called the result a strong outcome, arguing that Australia’s leadership in the negotiation process would still give it significant influence. He said the compromise avoided a situation in which the conference defaulted to Bonn, which neither Germany nor many negotiators wanted.
Reactions within Australia were mixed. South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, said he was disappointed and criticised the UN’s opaque selection system. The Smart Energy Council accused Turkey of obstructing the Pacific-backed bid and urged the government to organise its own major clean energy trade event.
Climate Action Network Australia said the focus must now be on ensuring COP31 delivers meaningful progress for Pacific and Australian communities. The group urged the government to support a fair transition away from fossil fuels, uphold its climate obligations, and secure finance for vulnerable nations. It also called on Turkey to guarantee open participation for civil society groups at the summit.
