The United Nation’s climate chief says a delay in choosing the host for next year’s COP31 summit is causing problems. It's after Australia and Türkiye submitted bids in 2022 to host the high-profile conference in 2026. Sydney said it's received the most votes.
Both countries have refused to concede to the other.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change warns that the delay is disrupting preparations for the global climate talks.
The impasse continues despite a UN deadline for a decision in June.
“A decision needs to be made very quickly,” said Stiell, during remarks at a Smart Energy Council event in Sydney on Monday (28 July).
“The two proponents need to come together and between themselves and within the group to make that decision. The delay in making that decision is unhelpful to the process.”
The selection of COP hosts rotates among five regional groups. For COP31, the host must be agreed upon by full consensus among the 28 members of the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG).
The office of Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen referred to an interview where he said Australia’s bid had the backing of 23 out of 28 WEOG members.
Australia had also approached Türkiye multiple times to find a “win-win” solution, according to Bowen.
“We've got the votes. We could have all the votes in the world. If Türkiye is not going to withdraw, that's still a challenge,” Bowen told The Conversation Politics Podcast on Thursday.
Australia has proposed co-hosting the summit with Pacific nations and aims to highlight its progress on renewable energy. It had hoped to secure the bid during COP29 in Azerbaijan in 2024.
Türkiye remains in the race and has argued that its Mediterranean location could help reduce travel-related emissions. It has also pointed to its relatively smaller fossil fuel industry compared to Australia. Officials reaffirmed Türkiye’s position during climate talks in Bonn last month.
The UN said that the stalemate is now affecting planning for COP31, which requires large-scale logistical coordination and is expected to involve nearly 200 countries.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 11th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran to expect the “most intense day" of attacks so far. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history."
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of global concern as tensions rise following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has threatened to block the strategic waterway, raising fears of disruption to global oil shipments and energy markets.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regional tensions escalated, using both air and land routes to bring nationals home while closely monitoring political developments and potential economic effects linked to rising oil prices.
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state has risen to 46, authorities said, with 21 people still reported missing. The storms triggered landslides and widespread flooding, displacing thousands across Juiz de Fora and Uba.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (12 February) announced the repeal of a scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, and eliminated federal tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani has killed at least 31 people and left four others missing after tearing through eastern Madagascar, the government said on Wednesday, with the island nation’s second-largest city bearing the brunt of the destruction.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
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