Turkey and Australia appear close to ending their long contest over hosting rights for next year’s UN climate summit. Negotiators at COP30 in Brazil advanced a compromise on Thursday that would give Turkey the presidency of COP and assign Australia the role of leading government-level negotiations. Three sources involved in the talks said the agreement is not final, but momentum is building.
Both countries submitted hosting bids in 2022 and have resisted backing down. Their standoff delayed the naming of a venue and leadership team for one of the world’s key annual climate events. Diplomats working in the talks developed a middle path that lets each country play a major role. Turkey would host the main conference, while a pre-COP event would take place in the Pacific, reflecting Australia’s regional links and its stated commitment to addressing climate risks facing island nations.
The potential deal attracted attention after Bloomberg first reported the emerging terms. Australia’s COP30 delegation declined to comment when questioned on Thursday. Requests for reaction from both governments produced no immediate responses.
If finalized, the agreement would remove a major distraction ahead of next year’s summit and allow planning to move forward. Delegates expect formal confirmation once talks conclude in Brazil.
