Australia and Turkey are competing for the right to host the annual United Nations Climate Conference (COP) in 2026. The competition has reached its peak during the current negotiations between the two countries at the 30th meeting of the UN Climate Conference, being held in Belem.
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Supporters of the Australian nomination organized a press conference on Thursday to defend their candidacy outside the country’s pavilion at the UN Climate Change Conference 30 – a situation that was deemed embarrassing, as the venue was just steps away from the Turkey venue. While staff at the Turkish Pavilion were distributing coffee and tea to delegates on Thursday morning, Indigenous Australian representatives performed a cultural dance.
Rebecca Mikula-Wright, executive director of the Climate Change Investor Group, a network of institutional investors from Australia and New Zealand, said Australia had a unique opportunity “to be a force for decarbonisation across the entire region and, indeed, the world”.
The question now is which country will lead high-level international climate negotiations in 2026 and host a conference that typically brings together tens of thousands of delegates from around the world, as well as attracting significant green investment.
Host countries also ensure a rare opportunity to showcase their climate policies, economies and culture to the world, as well as attract tourists and business people. So far, neither Türkiye nor Australia is willing to give in, and the countries charged with resolving the conflict have not yet reached a decision – a process that requires consensus.
Three years ago, when Australia first entered the race, its bid to host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) alongside Pacific island nations seemed all but certain. But Erdogan said at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) last year that his country – which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2053 – would also seek to host the 2026 summit.
Among possible outcomes, the conference could be held in Adelaide, Australia, or Antalya, Türkiye. If no decision is made by the end of COP 30, Germany will automatically become the host country.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that he had received a letter from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan within the past 24 hours, “sticking to his position in response to Australia maintaining our position.”
Supporters of holding the conference in Australia say it will continue to focus on indigenous peoples while highlighting the Asia-Pacific region and island nations that suffer most from climate change.
Veteran negotiators and activists say this could help push for a more progressive outcome, including tougher commitments to ditch fossil fuels — something that worries major Middle Eastern oil producers.
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