Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has firmly stated that Australia will not co-host the COP climate conference next year with Turkey, citing the lack of provision for co-hosting under the UNFCCC rules. This decision comes as negotiations over the hosting rights have stretched into the second week of the global talks in Belem, Brazil, where Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has been actively engaged since the weekend. The prime minister's remarks were the most definitive to date, indicating that Australia would only host the event on its own, a prospect that seems unlikely given President Erdogan's unwavering stance on his bid for the event.
The COP president, appointed by the host nation, is responsible for facilitating negotiations, and UN rules do not allow for the position to be divided. Multiple federal government sources clarify that Albanese's comments were not a sign of giving up hope but rather an expression of support for Bowen to confront Turkish officials with an ultimatum: host the event or concede to Australia. Bowen is set to meet with his Turkish counterpart as soon as Monday to push for a resolution.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, sources not authorized to speak publicly reveal that Bowen has offered Turkey some involvement in the conference in exchange for withdrawing its bid to host. Australia could offer to cede pre-COP talks or the meeting of world leaders, which are typically held during the first week of the talks but were held days before this year's talks began. However, Thom Woodroofe, a senior international fellow with the Smart Energy Council in Australia and a former climate diplomat, emphasizes that there is no sign of Australia backing down in its efforts to secure the hosting rights.
Woodroofe argues that the Turks continue to ask for the impossible, as there is no way under UNFCCC rules for a 'co-presidency' and no conceptual feasibility for two countries with vastly different priorities and experiences of the climate crisis to govern a complex event like a COP under a unified umbrella. The delay in reaching an agreement is impacting the most consequential gathering for many countries, far beyond just the Pacific.
If no resolution is found, Germany, as the host of the UN climate organization, is obligated to step in under the treaty rules. German State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth expressed this obligation, stating that they would have to step in but do not want to. From Belem, Petter Lydén, head of international affairs for the German environmental and foreign affairs non-profit Germanwatch, acknowledges Germany's efforts to resolve the impasse via third parties and their preference for Australia to host the talks, citing both climate credentials and democratic criteria.
