Australia hopes for a final hour backdown over COP role
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he would stand by his word and not back down from his right to host the world’s most important climate meeting, despite rival bidder Türkiye’s determination to follow suit.
While Australia has received “overwhelming support” to bring COP31 Down Under, the two countries have been locked in a months-long stalemate.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote a letter to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in early November in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
The United Nations’ annual Conference of the Parties lacks provisions to break the stalemates that arise due to such disputes, due to the scenario of voluntary withdrawal by one party or the other.
But Mr Bowen said Australia remained committed.
“We have the overwhelming support of the world to host the 2026 conference,” he told reporters at Sydney Airport on Saturday to attend this year’s summit in Belem, Amazon.
He said Australia wanted to co-host with Pacific island nations for the first time and show how to work together to tackle the “existential threat” of climate change.
“Our nation has a lot at risk when it comes to climate change, but every effort we make now will help prevent the worst impacts,” he said.
“This is not a matter of fighting for months; it will be decided at this conference.
“This is not a voting process. It means we have to reach an agreement with Türkiye; it’s difficult.”
Mr Bowen said he would continue to meet with his Turkish counterparts throughout the week, while the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional diplomatic bloc consisting of 18 countries, also supported Australia’s offer.
But this has been overshadowed by local climate policy after the Liberal Party dropped its net-zero emissions target with its decision on Sunday.
Opposition MP Leon Rebello argues the party’s choice was made “based on what’s right for Australia”, despite the majority of Australians believing the government should commit to net zero by 2050.
“We don’t support net zero by 2050 and that’s because… we have license to move away from that and forge our own path forward,” he told Sky News on Saturday.
With the United States absent from the COP for the first time in three decades, China is stepping into the spotlight as a leader in the fight against global warming.
Unlike previous years, when it featured a modest pavilion with only a handful of seats for mostly technical and academic panels, its exhibition in Belem occupies prime space near the entrance next to host nation Brazil.
China is also playing a more subtle role in filling the U.S. void behind the scenes through efforts to mobilize governments toward a deal.
