Australia and T\u00fcrkiye are still locked in COP31 negotiations and could even agree to share hosting rights for the massive event next year, as the federal government intensifies efforts to resolve a diplomatic impasse over the climate summit.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye has been unwilling to withdraw its bid to hold the Conference of the Parties global climate talks, despite pressure from Pacific nations and the fact Australia enjoys “overwhelming” support from the bloc of largely European countries whose turn it is to host.<\/p>\n
There is no clear mechanism to break the deadlock and Australia has become increasingly frustrated by the delay, warning the key climate meeting will likely revert to United Nations offices in the German city of Bonn if no diplomatic resolution is reached.<\/p>\n
Australia says it wants to use COP31 to highlight urgent climate threats faced by Pacific nations and champion Pacific calls for more ambitious action, and Canberra has been careful to keep officials and leaders from the region briefed on the protracted discussions.<\/p>\n
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The UN’s COP summit brings together delegates, media and observer groups from across the world. (Reuters: Murad Sezer)<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye had proposed sharing the COP presidency with Australia, but the ABC understands the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat has made it clear that co-presidencies are not permitted under its rules.<\/p>\n
However, two Pacific Island government sources have told the ABC that a separate idea has been floated that would see Australia holding the presidency but agreeing to “split” hosting rights with T\u00fcrkiye, with officials and ministers from around the world attending COP events in both countries.<\/p>\n
Some Pacific nations are open to the proposal, although it is not yet clear if T\u00fcrkiye would be willing to accept the compromise.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been pushing for the [Australia and Pacific COP] bid but this might be the only way forward,” said one Pacific island source.<\/p>\n
Ministers to discuss split hosting idea<\/p>\n
Several Pacific climate ministers are travelling to Australia this week, and are expected to discuss the idea with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen in Sydney as part of broader discussions on climate and energy policy.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye’s Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum told the Guardian last week that Australia and T\u00fcrkiye were pursuing “innovative solutions” for the summit, and insisted they could “achieve a success based on historical ties where both countries win”.<\/p>\n
A senior Australian government source did not deny that the idea of shared hosting had been discussed, but stressed that “absolutely nothing” had been decided, and added that the final outcome would not necessarily be a split meeting.<\/p>\n
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Tens of thousands of delegates, media and observer groups will descend on the Adelaide CBD if Australia wins COP31 hosting rights. (ABC News: Stephen Opie)<\/p>\n
A second Pacific Island source said some governments in the region also had reservations about the idea, as it might further dilute their influence at the talks and make it harder for them to push for meaningful global action.<\/p>\n
While UN rules also prevent Pacific nations from sharing the COP presidency with Australia, Pacific leaders will still likely want to play a meaningful role even in a “split” COP31, for example, by hosting visiting senior officials or leaders in the region for meetings focused on their key climate priorities.<\/p>\n
There has been a burst of diplomatic activity over COP31 in recent weeks as the deadline for a resolution approaches at the COP30 meeting in the Brazilian city of Belem in November.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Climate Minister Chris Bowen all pressed Australia’s case for COP31 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, although Mr Albanese did not secure a flagged meeting with T\u00fcrkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan.<\/p>\n
Mr Albanese declined to discuss the details of the negotiations but said last week there “clearly will need to be some compromise on both sides in order to move forward.”<\/p>\n
“If it is not agreed that one or other country withdraw, and our bid of course is a joint bid with the Pacific, then the default position is the conference goes to Bonn,” he told Sky News.<\/p>\n
“So, neither Turkey or Australia and the Pacific will host.”<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the negotiations “pretty difficult”, saying T\u00fcrkiye was “not backing down” and calling UN processes to determine the host “very difficult and very convoluted”.<\/p>\n
Mr Bowen held discussions in New York with Mr Kurum and the president of Azerbaijan’s COP29 summit, Mukhtar Babayev, as well as meeting with T\u00fcrkiye’s first lady Emine Erdo\u011fan, who some observers have suggested has been a driving force behind its bid.<\/p>\n
Has a COP summit been split before?<\/p>\n
Splitting a COP meeting is not entirely unprecedented: COP25 was meant to be hosted in Chile’s capital, Santiago, in 2019 but had to be moved to Spain due to widespread unrest in the city.<\/p>\n
But Chile remained as COP president, with its environment minister leading global climate negotiations.<\/p>\n