Australia and Türkiye fighting to host COP31 climate summit
Brazil will host the COP30 climate summit in November 2025. (Reuters: Maxim Shemetov)
In short:
Australia and Türkiye are fighting over who will host the COP31 climate summit in November 2026.
Australia wants to host the summit in Adelaide to showcase its clean energy transition.
What's next?
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is planning to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this month in New York to resolve the dispute.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this month as Australia steps up efforts to break the deadlock over who will host next year’s global climate summit.
Australia and Türkiye have been locked in a long-running stand-off over the right to host the COP31 summit in 2026.
The huge event, known as the "31st Conference of the Parties", is expected to draw more than 20,000 delegates.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pushing for Australia to host the COP31 climate summit. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
It is due to be hosted by a member of the UN regional group "Western Europe and Others States", which is comprised of 28 countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Of the 28 members of the bloc, the Australian government claims to have the support of 23 for its bid to jointly host the summit with Pacific Island nations.
But Türkiye has so far refused to pull out.
Albanese plans to meet Erdogan
The ABC understands Mr Albanese will meet Mr Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which commences in just over two weeks.
The aim of the meeting is to resolve the dispute over hosting rights.
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in New York this month. ( AP: Vladimir Smirnov: Sputnik: Kremlin Pool Photo)
In July, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged Australia and Türkiye to sort it out "very quickly".
"The delay in making that decision is unhelpful to the process," he told a clean energy event in Sydney.
Australia bids to host COP31 in Adelaide
Australia wants to host the summit in Adelaide in November 2026 and use the gathering to showcase its clean energy transition and potential as an exporter of green metals and green hydrogen.
Before the prime minister heads to the UN General Assembly, the federal government is expected to announce its 2035 emissions target.
The updated target will be based on advice from the Climate Change Authority, which has been consulting on a possible target to reduce emissions by between 65 per cent and 75 per cent below on 2005 levels.