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Australia and Türkiye both submitted bids in 2022 to host COP31 and neither has withdrawn, leading to an attention-sapping impasse that must be overcome at this year's COP30 meeting currently taking place in Belem, Brazil.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.
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Far-right candidate José Antonio Kast is gaining momentum ahead of Chile’s 14 December runoff, despite trailing slightly behind Communist-backed Jeannette Jara in the first round of voting.
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as part of what it described as a broader offensive aimed at securing full control of the strategic territory.
Storm Claudia, which brought violent weather to Portugal, has resulted in the deaths of three people and left dozens injured, authorities reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, in Britain, rescue teams were organising evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England.
Ukraine is facing a sharp escalation in fighting across several fronts, with Russian forces launching large-scale offensive operations while Kyiv intensifies long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.
U.S. President Donald Trump purchased at least $82 million in corporate and municipal bonds between late August and early October, including new investments in sectors benefiting from his policies, according to financial disclosures made public on Saturday.
Japan urged China on Saturday to take "appropriate measures" after Beijing issued a warning to its citizens against travelling to Japan, amid an ongoing dispute over Taiwan.
Australia’s ambition to host the COP31 climate summit is under serious threat as a fierce competition with Türkiye heats up.
Indigenous protesters defended charging the gates of Brazil's COP30 climate summit on Wednesday and clashing with security a day earlier, saying the action was aimed at demonstrating the desperation of their fight for forest protection.
China’s carbon dioxide emissions have remained flat and slightly declined over the past 18 months, according to new analysis for climate publication Carbon Brief, marking what could be a historic shift in the world’s largest emitter’s energy and economic trajectory.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Afghanistan, Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, expressed concern over Afghanistan's absence from the COP30 summit in Brazil, despite being one of the world’s lowest carbon emitters.
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