Turkey to Host COP31 Sessions, Australia Leads Talks

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that Turkey will host the main sessions of the 2026 United Nations climate summit, known as COP31, in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, ending a prolonged dispute with Australia over hosting rights. Under the compromise reached during negotiations at the ongoing COP30 conference in Belem, Brazil, Australia will lead the summit's high-level negotiations, while a pre-COP event focused on Pacific resilience will take place in the region beforehand.

The agreement resolves a deadlock that began in 2022 when both nations submitted bids to host the annual Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Australia had campaigned to co-host with Pacific island nations, aiming to spotlight the existential threats posed by rising sea levels and climate disasters in low-lying areas. The proposed location was Adelaide, South Australia, where officials hoped to demonstrate progress in renewable energy. Turkey, positioning itself as an emerging economy, sought to foster solidarity between developed and developing countries with a more global emphasis.

Negotiations intensified at COP30, with Australian...