New Delhi, Nov 20 (NationPress) Turkey has been officially designated to host the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP31, following the announcement from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese regarding the withdrawal of Canberra’s proposal.

Nevertheless, Australia will assume the role of President of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the highest decision-making body of the convention.

The decision came down to the wire as the COP30 summit concluded its final week in Brazil’s Belem, raising concerns that the next year’s event could potentially relocate to Bonn, or that the ongoing uncertainty might overshadow essential negotiations in progress.

The Australian Climate and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, will be appointed as COP31 President (negotiations). This role entails that Australia will guide the negotiation agenda, appoint Chairs and leads, and prepare the draft decision text.

A pre-COP meeting is scheduled to take place in the Pacific, serving as a platform for world leaders and others to pledge support for the Pacific Resilience Fund.

Experts assert that the venue is less significant than the outcomes achieved for the climate. Advocates from Australia are now urging their government to ensure that COP31 continues the momentum established at COP30, pushing for rapid action and a transition away from fossil fuels while addressing the stagnation in adaptation finance during these final negotiation days.

In response to this development, Umit Sahin, Senior Scholar and Head of the Climate Change Program at the Istanbul Policy Centre in Turkey, stated, “Turkish governments have consistently avoided climate denialism or the obstructionist rhetoric observed during the Trump era. However, Turkey maintains close political and economic relationships with major fossil fuel producers like Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

“As Turkey leads the negotiations, these connections require thorough examination to ensure they do not compromise the impartiality, ambition, and integrity of conference outcomes.”

“Turkish civil society possesses an extraordinary capability to create, adapt, and claim space for itself and international partners, suggesting that observers can anticipate surprisingly vibrant, diverse, and robust activism despite existing constraints.”

Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, remarked: “While it is unfortunate that Australia’s bid to host the Pacific COP31 was unsuccessful, the Pacific’s struggle for survival does not hinge on a single hosting decision. For us, climate action transcends prestige -- it is about safeguarding our homelands, cultures, and future with dignity and humility.”

Christiana Figueres, former UNFCCC executive secretary, noted, “The decision regarding the location of COP31 has indeed come down to the wire. However, the climate progress needed by 2026 relies less on the host country and more on the acceleration of the numerous decarbonisation efforts demonstrated at COP30.”

“All nations must remain engaged at the highest level and align their domestic actions with the targets set by the Paris Agreement.”

Senator Steph Hodgins-May, Assistant Climate Spokesperson for Australian Greens, commented: “This is incredibly disappointing, but it highlights that the world recognizes Australia’s considerable role in exacerbating dangerous climate change. The Prime Minister’s statements regarding the Pacific seem hollow while he neglects the calls from island nations to halt the opening of new coal and gas mines.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated, “Chris Bowen (Minister for Climate Change and Energy) and Australia will be leading the COP presidency for negotiations leading up to and during the conference in Turkey.

“Part of that will include a pre-COP meeting in the Pacific at a yet-to-be-determined location based on our Pacific family’s input. This will facilitate the invitation of world leaders to ensure that issues facing this region, such as the very existence of island nations like Tuvalu and Kiribati, and oceanic concerns, will be prioritized.”

COP30 is taking place in Belem from November 10 to 21, representing the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

UN Climate Change Conferences (or COPs) are held annually and are the only global multilateral decision-making forum on climate change, uniting nearly every country on the planet.

In essence, the COP serves as a platform where the world collaborates to agree on actions addressing the climate crisis, such as limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, aiding vulnerable communities in adapting to climate change impacts, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.