UN tells Australia, Turkey to end COP31 standoff
SYDNEY: The United Nations climate chief on Monday urged Australia and Turkey to resolve their long-running tussle over who will host next year's COP31 summit, calling the delay unhelpful and unnecessary. Australia and Turkey submitted bids to host the high-profile conference in 2022 and both countries have refused to concede to the other ever since. Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which oversees COP summits, said the deadlock was undermining preparations.
'A decision needs to be made very quickly,' he said at a Smart Energy Council event in Sydney. 'The two proponents need to come together and between themselves and within the group to make that decision. The delay in making that decision is unhelpful to the process.' The annual UN talks rotate through five regional groups. COP31's host must be unanimously agreed upon by the 28 members of the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) bloc. The UN had set a deadline of June for the group to reach consensus.
Australia is seeking to co-host next year's summit with the Pacific to showcase its renewable energy transition. It had hoped to secure the bid, which has majority backing among its regional group, at COP29 in Azerbaijan. The UK, a WEOG member, last week reiterated its support for Australia and 'expressed the hope that a decision would soon be reached' during Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations held in Sydney. But Turkey has rebuffed calls to drop out of the race, and instead doubled down on its efforts during interim talks in Bonn last month.
Turkey argues its Mediterranean location would help reduce emissions from flights bringing delegates to the conference, and has pointed out its smaller oil and gas industry compared to Australia. Stiell said the deadlock was now affecting the planning of the COP process, involving thousands of delegates from 200 member countries. 'In negotiations that are as complex as they are, that lack of clarity creates tensions that are completely unnecessary at this stage,' he said. Asked for comment, the office of Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen referred to an interview where he said Australia's bid had the backing of 23 out of 28 WEOG members.
Australia had also approached Turkey multiple times to find a 'win-win' solution, he said. 'We've got the votes. We could have all the votes in the world. If Turkey is not going to withdraw, that's still a challenge,' Bowen told The Conversation Politics Podcast on Thursday. At the same event, Stiell also called on Australia to set an ambitious 2035 emissions target and accelerate its clean energy transition. Australia's national climate plan, due in September, would be a 'defining moment' that could send a message that 'this country is open for clean investment, trade, and long-term partnerships', he said. — Reuters
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