At COP30 in Belém, Australia and Turkey are deadlocked over who will host COP31, with both bids remaining active and neither side prepared to withdraw. The COP presidency must be decided by consensus; if no agreement is reached, hosting would revert to Bonn, Germany — a country that has signalled it does not want the role. Brazil has appointed an envoy to broker a solution before the summit ends on November 21, and Pacific nations are closely watching the outcome. Observers say the rivalry has been vivid on the floor, with both pavilions positioned conspicuously close together.
Coffee, Flags and a Stalemate: Australia and Turkey Deadlocked Over Hosting COP31
At COP30 in Belém, Australia and Turkey are deadlocked over who will host COP31, with both bids remaining active and neither side prepared to withdraw. The COP presidency must be decided by consensus; if no agreement is reached, hosting would revert to Bonn, Germany — a country that has signalled it does not want the role. Brazil has appointed an envoy to broker a solution before the summit ends on November 21, and Pacific nations are closely watching the outcome. Observers say the rivalry has been vivid on the floor, with both pavilions positioned conspicuously close together.
01:28 AM, 11/14/2025Politics
Diplomats hunting for a good coffee at COP30 in Belém face an eyebrow-raising choice: the Australians pouring flat whites or the Turks offering stronger brews just next door. The proximity is convenient — and symbolic — as Australia and Turkey remain locked in a stalemate over who will host next year’s UN climate talks, COP31.
Tensions on the COP30 floor
Both Canberra and Ankara have formally bid to host COP31 and neither has shown signs of withdrawing. The dispute is an unwelcome distraction for Brazil, which is trying to demonstrate that multilateral climate diplomacy still functions. With the summit due to wrap on November 21, Brazil has appointed an envoy to press both sides to reach an agreement.
"100 percent deliberate. The Brazil presidency is like, sort this out," Kathryn McCallum, an activist with Climate Action Network Australia, told AFP in Belém. "They don't want it dragging down this really critical conversation."
On the COP30 floor the rivalry has been visible: the Australian and Turkish pavilions were placed close together, supporters for each bid have campaigned in full view of the other, and the scene has mixed politics with lighter touches — from royal visits to on-site calligraphy and coffee draws.
Diplomatic stakes and the rules
Under COP rules the host must be chosen by consensus among parties. If neither country stands down, or the two cannot agree to share hosting duties, the right to host would revert to Bonn in Germany, where the UN climate secretariat is based — a fallback Germany has indicated it does not want.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Ankara was "maintaining his position in response to Australia maintaining our position." Turkey’s climate diplomat Aysin Turpanci told AFP that Ankara remained "committed to host COP31," while Australia’s assistant climate minister, Josh Wilson, said Australia’s bid enjoys "very broad and strong international support" and that a co-hosting arrangement with Pacific nations is "compelling." A source from the Turkish delegation described the chances as "fifty-fifty."
Countdown and wider consequences
Veterans of the process say this race is unusually tight. Alden Meyer of the climate think-tank E3G said there had never been a bid that had gone "to the wire like this." If no consensus is reached, the meeting would revert to Bonn — an outcome German officials appear reluctant to accept, according to former German envoy Jennifer Morgan.
The impasse also matters to Pacific island states, which have pressed for greater attention to their acute climate risks and have been campaigning for a host that will elevate those concerns. With Ethiopia already endorsed to host COP32 in 2027, the eventual COP31 host will have limited time to prepare.
"The sooner we know, the better — and hopefully in Australia," said Vishal Prasad, director of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.
As negotiations in Belém continue, all eyes are on whether Canberra and Ankara will find a diplomatic way out of the deadlock or risk the unprecedented default to Germany.