Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, planned to confer with Erdogan in an attempt to resolve the impasse concerning COP31.
The 2026 United Nations climate summit, known as COP31, is currently embroiled in a two-year standoff between Australia and Turkey. The Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) bloc, responsible for selecting the summit's host, missed a June deadline to reach a consensus on the matter.
The UN climate chief, Simon Stiell, has urged the two governments to resolve the impasse, warning that the deadlock is undermining preparations for the high-profile event. The summit, expected to draw over 20,000 delegates, is viewed as a critical milestone in global efforts to keep warming within the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree Celsius (34.7 Fahrenheit) target.
Both Australia and Turkey submitted bids for hosting rights in 2022 and have refused to step aside. Australia has proposed a joint bid with Pacific nations to highlight its renewable energy transition, while Turkey emphasizes its record in hosting major international events and the benefits of Antalya as a venue, including its Mediterranean location.
Turkey's oil and gas industry is smaller compared to Australia. However, the country has increased the share of renewable energy in installed capacity to 59%, ranking fifth in Europe and 11th globally. Turkey plans to increase wind and solar capacity from 31,000 megawatts to 120,000 megawatts by 2035 and nuclear energy capacity to 20,000 megawatts by 2050.
On the other hand, Turkey argues that hosting the summit in Istanbul would reduce emissions from long-haul flights. President Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's bid at COP29 in Azerbaijan last year, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2053.
The meeting between the leaders of Australia and Turkey, scheduled on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York later this month, is aimed at resolving the dispute over hosting rights for COP31. The ABC News (Australia) reported the meeting.
The summit's host must be unanimously agreed upon by the 28 members of the WEOG bloc. A decision on the host country needs to be made quickly, according to Stiell. The COP31 summit will follow COP30 in Brazil in 2025, where countries are due to present updated 2035 climate targets.
The proposed bid reportedly enjoys majority support among WEOG members. The outcome of the leaders' meeting will likely determine the location of the upcoming COP31 summit, a decision that holds significant implications for global climate action.
