Australia Stands Firm: Co-Presidency with Tรผrkiye at COP31 ‘Not Workable,’โข says Albanese
BELรM, BRAZIL – โฃNovember 10, 2025 – Primeโ minister Anthonyโ Albanese has reiterated that aโค shared presidencyโข of the 2026 COP31 climate talks with Tรผrkiyeโฃ is not โขa viable option, as negotiations continue at COP30 inโ Belรฉm to resolve a diplomaticโฃ impasse. The standoff threatens to hand โคhostingโค duties to Bonn, Germany – a โคscenarioโข Berlin has indicated it wishes to avoid.
Theโ dispute centers on Tรผrkiye’s insistence on a co-presidency, a proposal experts say clashes with United Nations Frameworkโ Convention โขon Climate Change (UNFCCC) rules. “There โis simply no way under the UNFCCC rules for there to be a ‘co-presidency’,” explained Thom Woodroofe, a senior international fellow with the Smart Energy Council in Australia, currently attendingโ COP30. “Nor is it even conceptually workable โฃthat two countries on the opposite sides of the world โwith vastly different priorities adn experiences of โฃthe climate crisis โฃcould govern something as complex โas โคa COP underโ a unified umbrella.”
Australia โis currently seeking a resolution beforeโ the conclusion ofโฃ COP30 later this week, with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen arriving inโข Belรฉm โover the weekend โto assist in negotiations. Foreignโค Minister Penny โฃWong expressed optimism on Sunday,โ anticipating a resolution “by the end of the week.”
While Tรผrkiye continues to push โfor a leading role, suggestions have been made for it to take on a significant supporting role, such as hostingโค ancillary meetings. Woodroofe urged a collaborative approach, stating, “Now is not the time for ultimatums, it is the time to be thinking through creatively with โAustralia โhow โฃTรผrkiye’s desire to lead can still bestโค be legitimately โฃaccommodated in some other way.” โHe also noted the busy scheduleโ facing Tรผrkiye,โ including hosting โคNATO leaders, including President Trump.
Delegations at COP30 largely attribute the deadlock to Tรผrkiye’s position. “Nobody here in Belem is underโข any falseโ pretences as to what is holding up a deal,” Woodroofe added,โฃ “and this delay is having an impact on what is theโ most consequential gathering for many countries โin the world.”
Pacificโ leadersโ are also emphasizing the โฃimportance of regional โinclusion in โany final โคhosting arrangement. George โคCarter, a research โขfellow at the ANU’s Department of โPacific Affairs, stated that โleaders “wont โto make sure that the Pacific is at theโ heart of both โคof these options, and they want toโ makeโ sure that โขthe issues from the Pacific [and] the peopleโ from the Pacific are also heard.”
Observers โขbelieve Australia โenjoys strongโฃ support for its bid to โคhost COP31, and is prepared to pursue the matter to a resolution.