Australia says it won't co-host the COP31 climate summit with Türkiye amid an ongoing stalemate between the two countries over which one should stage the United Nations conference next year.
Türkiye had previously proposed jointly leading next year's UN climate summit with Australia as a compromise as both want to host it.
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday during a media briefing in Melbourne, "No, we won't be co-hosting because co-hosting isn't provided for under the rules of the (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)."
"So that's not an option and people are aware that it is not an option, which is why it has been ruled out."
Australia and Türkiye both submitted bids in 2022 to host COP31 and neither has withdrawn, leading to an attention-sapping impasse that must be overcome at this year's COP30 meeting currently taking place in Belem, Brazil.
Australia's climate change minister Chris Bowen arrived in Belem on Sunday, which "has been a shot in the arm for Australia's bid", said Thom Woodroofe, a senior fellow with the Smart Energy Council in Australia.
Woodroofe said it would be difficult for Australia and Türkiye to co-host COP31 given the two countries have very different priorities, but added that Australia should find a way to accommodate Türkiye's desire to lead.
UN rules require unanimity among the 28-strong group of countries whose turn it is to host COP31. If neither Australia nor Türkiye compromises, hosting duties would default to Bonn in Germany, which houses the UN's climate headquarters.
German officials have said they do not want to host.
The annual COP, or Conference of the Parties, is the world's main forum for driving climate action. But it has grown over the years from diplomatic gatherings into vast trade shows where host countries can promote economic prospects.
The host matters because they set the agenda and lead the diplomacy needed to reach global agreements.
Albanese this month wrote to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an attempt to resolve the tussle as he pushes to host the summit with Pacific island nations for the first time.
A regional diplomatic bloc of 18 countries, the Pacific Islands Forum, is backing Australia's bid. Several Pacific island nations are at risk from rising seas.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of country on Sunday as raging wildfires forced at least 20,00...
Australia is poised to pass new laws to enable a national gun buyback and tighten background checks for gun licences in response to the country’s wo...
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in b...
U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, as tensions with Europe esca...
The Trump administration has invited Russia and Belarus to join a proposed Gaza ‘Board of Peace’, officials in both countries confirmed on Monday....
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, as tensions with Europe escalate and the European Union considers retaliatory measures that could reignite a transatlantic trade war.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to become a founding member of the U.S.-led Board of Peace, while France has declined to take part, citing concerns over the body’s mandate.
The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping centre in Karachi has climbed to 26, with dozens of people still missing as rescue efforts continue, according to local media.
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
European leaders voiced growing alarm on Sunday over U.S. threats to impose tariffs on eight NATO allies, warning the move could destabilize transatlantic relations and heighten tensions in the Arctic.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a decree recognising Kurdish language rights, as government forces advanced against U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters despite U.S. calls for restraint.
Speaking on Armenian public radio on 9 January, Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan made some important announcements for 2026. Among them, discussions between Yerevan and Baku over the range of products Armenia can potentially export to Azerbaijan.
Five skiers were killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria’s western Alpine regions on Saturday, with two others injured, one critically.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of country on Sunday as raging wildfires forced at least 20,000 people to evacuate and left at least 19 people dead.
A landmark global treaty to safeguard biodiversity in the high seas came into effect on Saturday, providing countries with a legally binding framework to tackle threats and meet a target to protect 30% of the ocean environment by 2030.
The 240-megawatt Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant has been inaugurated in Azerbaijan on Thursday (8 Jan) by President Ilham Aliyev, who described the launch as a landmark moment for Azerbaijan's energy sector. It's the first large-scale, independently developed wind energy project in the country.
A mountain gorilla has given birth to twins in war‑torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a national park said on Wednesday, calling the event “a major event” for the endangered subspecies.
Experts say COP30 failed to deliver concrete commitments on fossil fuels and deforestation despite high expectations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment