Australia to Push for COP31 Host Rights at Brazil Climate Summit Amid Standoff With Turkey

Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he will travel to Brazil on Saturday to attend the COP30 climate summit, where he plans to push for Australia to host next year’s COP31, even as the deadlock with rival bidder Turkey continues.

Australia and Turkey both submitted bids in 2022 to host the United Nations climate conference, and since then neither side has agreed to step aside. Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an effort to break the long-running impasse.

Bowen said a final decision will be made at COP30, emphasising that Australia has “overwhelming global support” to host the summit, according to an official transcript of his remarks at Sydney Airport.

In a statement, Bowen said he would strongly represent Australia at the summit in Belém, an Amazonian city, and highlight the country’s expanding clean-energy sector.

He added that Australia hopes to host COP31 next year in partnership with Pacific Island nations to demonstrate how collective action can confront the “existential threat” posed by climate change.

“Much is at stake for our country when it comes to climate change, but every effort we make now will help avert the worst impacts,” he said.

Australia’s bid is backed by the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional diplomatic group of 18 countries. Many Pacific Island nations face severe threats from rising sea levels.

Positioning itself to become a “renewable energy superpower,” Australia is shifting away from coal and gas and seeking investment in critical minerals, green steel and batteries—key technologies for the energy transition.

Turkey, for its part, has argued that it wants a COP focused more directly on financing climate efforts in developing countries while showcasing its own progress toward a 2053 net-zero emissions target.

In recent years, the annual COP—originally a forum for climate diplomacy—has grown into a large-scale global event resembling a major trade show, offering host countries a platform to promote economic opportunities alongside climate initiatives.