Australia backdown hands climate summit to Turkey
Ben McKay and Zac de Silva |
Australia will not host the UN’s annual climate summit in 2026, instead yielding to a rival bid from Turkey.
Three years of campaigning to bring the COP31 climate talks to Adelaide, in partnership with Pacific nations, were dashed in last-gasp negotiations at the 2025 event in Brazil.
While Australia had the overwhelming backing of the “Western” grouping to stage the 2026 event, under UN rules hosting rights are decided by consensus and negotiation, not a vote.
In a stand-off where Turkey was unwilling to cede ground, and with a deadline looming, Australia compromised by withdrawing its hopes to stage the event.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, Australia’s representative at the COP talks, said an in-principle deal would see the summit go to Antalya, and Mr Bowen taking the role of COP negotiations president, with a lead-up event hosted in the Pacific.
The result is a diplomatic disaster for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government, which has spent great energy and, most likely, tens of millions of dollars campaigning for the event.
Mr Bowen flew into Belem insisting Australia remained committed to the bid, telling attendees on Tuesday “we are in it to win it to the end, that’s Australia’s position”.
At the same time back home, Mr Albanese appeared to cool on the bid.
Australia’s push was first launched at the climate talks in 2022.
The federal government championed the bid as a huge opportunity for Australia to both lead the world on emissions reductions, and secure “the world’s biggest clean energy trade fair” to bring investment for Australian business.
Despite losing out on hosting rights Mr Albanese insisted the negotiated outcome was a “big win” for Australia.
“We will be the negotiator on climate policy globally over the next year and during the conference. That is a very worthwhile investment,” he told the ABC on Thursday.
“Had we not put in bid for the COP that certainly wouldn’t have occurred, and that will enable us to prioritise the issues that are confronting the Pacific, the very existence of countries like Tuvulu and Kiribati.”
Mr Bowen said he kept Pacific hopes front and centre through the negotiations, with the compromise model including a “pre-COP” event in the Pacific which will act as a pledging event for a Pacific climate financing fund.
“Obviously, it would be great if Australia could have it all. But we can’t have it all,” he said on Thursday (AEDT).
The decision comes at a time of renewed focus on Australian energy and climate policy, given the Sussan Ley-led opposition’s call to walk away from net zero.
Critics of the bid, including Ms Ley, baulked at the likely cost of staging the summit, which had been estimated to cost at least hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Turkey is doing the Australian government a big favour,” she told the ABC on Thursday.
“We had a $12 billion deficit last year. We’re heading to a $42 billion deficit this coming year, and meanwhile, this prime minister wants to spend $2 billion on hosting a talkfest here in this country?”
Mr Albanese said only “a small amount” had been spent on the bid by the government, and South Australia, on campaigning and preparations.
“The amount that has been (spent) has been promoting Adelaide, of course, to the world, and it’s been engaging with our priority about climate policy,” he said.
AAP
