Türkiye joins Australia in race to host Cop31 climate talks

Türkiye has declared its desire to host the Cop31 climate talks in 2026, kick-starting a competition with a joint bid by Australia and a yet-to-be-determined Pacific island nation.

At the annual Bonn climate talks in Germany, Türkiye indicated they may bid to host Cop31, Climate Change News reports citing the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin website.

The country’s deputy environment minister Mehmet Birpinar told Climate Home Turkiye “would love to” host the talks. He did not name a particular city or venue.

Venue rotation

The venue for the world’s most high-profile two-week climate summit rotates around the United Nations regions. In 2026 it will be the turn of the Western Europe and Others group, which includes Australia and Turkiye.

Government negotiators from the group will decide on the host before Cop30 in 2025. They include the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Greece and Israel as well as Western Europe.

Türkiye’s long-time president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently won re-election for another five years – taking him through to 2028.

Climate politics at play

In their successful election campaign last year, Australia’s Labor Party promised to bid to host Cop31 alongside a Pacific island nation.

That proposal has been supported by Pacific nations, Switzerland and by US president Joe Biden last month.

Cop28 will be in the United Arab Emirates this year, Cop29 will be in a yet-to-be-decided Eastern European nation in 2024 and Cop30 will be in the Brazilian city of Belem in 2025.

Türkiye ratified the Paris Agreement in 2021, after long resisting signing it because of its refusal to be considered a developed country and therefore be obliged to give and not receive money for climate projects.

At the same time, the nation formally known as Turkey, set a net zero target for 2053 – the 130th anniversary of the Turkish republic’s founding.