Turkey to Host UN Climate Summit 2026 as Australia Leads Negotiations, Albanese Confirms

Turkey to Host UN Climate Summit 2026 as Australia Leads Negotiations, Albanese Confirms
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Turkey will host the 2026 United Nations climate summit (COP31), while Australia will take charge of leading the conference’s government negotiations, under a compromise deal being finalized in talks in Brazil, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday, as reported by Al Arabiya English.

The agreement resolves a long-standing standoff between the two countries, which both bid in 2022 to host COP31 and initially refused to withdraw.

Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp Radio that the deal represents “a big win for both Australia and Turkey,” with Turkey acting as summit president and Australia presiding over the negotiations. The arrangement also includes a pre-COP event in the Pacific, highlighting Australia’s focus on the climate risks facing low-lying island nations.

Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, that while there is still “a little way to go in these discussions,” the compromise achieves Australia’s objectives. Bowen will have full powers of COP presidency for the negotiations, including managing discussions, appointing co-facilitators, preparing draft texts, and issuing the final cover decision.

Turkey, which will host the summit in Antalya, aims to promote solidarity between wealthy and emerging economies, giving the summit a broader global focus. Earlier this week, Albanese dismissed the idea of co-hosting the event under UN rules, although Turkey had previously proposed a joint model. Sources familiar with the talks noted that questions remain over the specific division of responsibilities and compliance with UN procedures, which generally envision a single country leading the COP.