https://arab.news/gvgyb
The COP30 summit in Brazil brought a climate deal agreed in overtime last week. However, the real winner of the event may have been Turkiye, which emerged, unexpectedly, as the surprise host of COP31. Many people expected that Australia would host the conference next year following a powerful bid with multiple Pacific Island nations. This would have been the first time the Asia Pacific had held the summit since COP13 in Indonesia in 2007.
However, the Australia and Pacific Island bid was defeated by Turkiye, which staked a claim to hosting the summit after it was sidestepped in a deal a few years ago which allowed the UK to host COP21 in Glasgow. Until the last moment in Brazil last week, neither Ankara nor Canberra backed down in their applications, and as the location is decided by consensus, a compromise deal was ultimately required that will see Antalya host the event, with Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen becoming COP31 president-designate.
The Australian government claims this is a good result for the country. This is not least as the powers of the COP presidency are wide ranging, including those of managing the COP31 negotiations, appointing co-facilitators, preparing draft texts, and issuing the final decision.
