Turkiye to Host COP31 After Australia Steps Back From Bid

Turkiye will host next year’s COP31 climate summit in the city of Antalya after reaching an agreement that ends a prolonged standoff with Australia over who would preside over the 2026 United Nations climate conference.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that Australia had agreed to host negotiations in the lead-up to the meeting together with Pacific nations, while Turkiye will assume the presidency of the main summit.

Albanese told ABC Radio Perth that the arrangement was a positive outcome for both countries. The confirmation comes as this year’s COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem is scheduled to close on Friday.

Australia had sought to host COP31 as a “Pacific COP” alongside low-lying South Pacific nations that face growing risks from rising sea levels and climate-related disasters. Turkiye insisted on continuing its own campaign to host the summit, saying its presidency would focus on promoting cooperation between wealthy and developing countries.

With Turkiye now confirmed as host, the country has 12 months to prepare the meeting at the Antalya Expo Center. The decision follows an unusually drawn-out process caused by the absence of clear procedures to manage situations in which two countries seek hosting rights at the same time.

The presidency of the Conference of the Parties rotates among five regional groups: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe and others. Both Australia and Turkiye fall within the final group, meaning Australia will need to wait another five years before it can submit a new bid.

Last week, Ethiopian Minister for Planning and Development Fitsum Assefa Adela announced that Ethiopia had secured the support of African negotiators to host COP32 in 2027.