The UN climate process has adopted an unusual split arrangement: Turkey will host and chair COP31 while Australia will lead the negotiation presidency, a compromise that resolves months of dispute and awaits plenary confirmation. German official Jochen Flasbarth called the arrangement unprecedented. Addis Ababa was unanimously chosen to host COP32 in 2027, and India has signalled interest in hosting the 2028 summit.
Unusual Compromise: Turkey to Host COP31 While Australia Leads Negotiations
The UN climate process has adopted an unusual split arrangement: Turkey will host and chair COP31 while Australia will lead the negotiation presidency, a compromise that resolves months of dispute and awaits plenary confirmation. German official Jochen Flasbarth called the arrangement unprecedented. Addis Ababa was unanimously chosen to host COP32 in 2027, and India has signalled interest in hosting the 2028 summit.
06:09 PM, 11/20/2025Environment
In a rare and unprecedented arrangement, Turkey will host next year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) while Australia will lead the formal negotiation presidency, negotiators announced. The compromise ends months of dispute between Ankara and Canberra over the venue for the November 2026 summit and now awaits formal confirmation in plenary.
German Environment Secretary of State Jochen Flasbarth described the split arrangement as 'a very unusual concept that has not yet been practised,' saying it emerged from the meeting he chaired during the current climate summit in Belém, Brazil. Under the deal, Turkey will provide the venue and chair the overall summit, while Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen will hold the COP31 presidency for negotiations.
Officials had warned that without an agreement the conference would have defaulted to Bonn, home of the UN Climate Change Secretariat — an outcome the German government had been keen to avoid. The annual COP presidency rotates among world regions and requires consensus among groups of states, with each country retaining veto power over the host choice.
Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, called the outcome 'an outstanding result' and said Canberra consulted closely with Pacific neighbours, including Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
Addis Ababa Confirmed for COP32
Separately, Addis Ababa was unanimously selected to host COP32 in 2027. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed gratitude for the endorsement, saying the decision reflects confidence in Ethiopia’s leadership on climate action and its capacity to host major international events.
India is currently the only country to have formally expressed interest in hosting the 2028 conference.
This split-hosting model will be watched closely by governments and observers, as it tests a new way to balance diplomatic leadership and logistical hosting responsibilities in the UN climate process.