Australia Withdraws COP31 Hosting Bid, Ceding Summit to Türkiye

Belem, Brazil - Australia has officially dropped its bid to host the 2026 United Nations climate summit, COP31, conceding to Türkiye after a prolonged diplomatic standoff.

Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, speaking at COP30 in Belem, revealed the compromise: Türkiye will host the conference in Antalya, while Australia will take charge of the negotiations by serving as "president for negotiations."

Under the agreement, Türkiye retains the formal COP presidency - meaning it handles logistics and venue operations - but Bowen will have the power to appoint co-facilitators, prepare draft texts, and issue the event’s core decisions.

The deal also establishes a pre-COP leaders’ gathering in the Pacific, reinforcing Australia’s effort to highlight the climate crisis facing Pacific island nations.

What Led to the Withdrawal

Australia’s campaign to host COP31 in Adelaide, in partnership with Pacific nations, had strong backing - particularly from the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG), whose turn it was to host. But Türkiye refused to back down, triggering a diplomatic impasse.

Under UN rules, the COP host must be selected by consensus, not a vote - meaning Türkiye’s refusal to withdraw held up the process.

If no compromise had been reached, the conference would have defaulted to Bonn, Germany, which already hosts the UN climate secretariat.

Reactions and Implications

• Domestic disappointment: In Australia, the decision disappointed state leaders and environmental groups. South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas, who backed Adelaide’s bid, called the outcome a blow to the region.
• Pacific concerns: Leaders in Pacific island nations expressed frustration, arguing that losing the summit in Australia reduces their platform to call urgent attention to climate impacts on their communities.
• Mixed views from activists: Some environmental advocates saw the arrangement as pragmatic - Australia still retains strong influence over negotiations. Others said the loss of hosting rights was a missed opportunity to elevate Pacific voices.

Bowen defended the compromise as a “better outcome” than risking months without a COP president or leadership vacuum, stressing the importance of consensus.

Challenges and Next Steps

The drawn-out process had already strained relations. The United Nations’ climate chief, Simon Stiell, previously urged both countries to settle their dispute quickly, warning that preparations were being hampered by continued uncertainty.

Looking ahead, Australia aims to leverage its role leading negotiations to push for a strong agenda, especially on issues affecting the Pacific. The planned Pacific pre-summit aims to raise funds for resilience-building in vulnerable island nations.