The COP or Conference of Parties is regarded as the highest decision-making body of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Meetings are held annually during which climate change matters are discussed, especially progress that is made in the combatting thereof. The COP forms an integral part in the worldwide drive to limit global warming as well as to continuously forge climate agreements.
An annual review of the COP
The United Nations climate chief on Monday urged Australia and Turkey to resolve their long-running tussle over who will host next year’s COP31 summit, calling the delay unhelpful and unnecessary. Australia and Turkey submitted bids to host the high-profile conference in 2022, and both countries have refused to concede to the other ever since. Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which oversees COP summits, said the deadlock was undermining preparations.
“A decision needs to be made very quickly,” he said at a Smart Energy Council event in Sydney. “The two proponents need to come together and between themselves and within the group to make that decision. The delay in making that decision is unhelpful to the process.” The annual UN talks rotate through five regional groups. COP31’s host must be unanimously agreed upon by the 28 members of the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) bloc. The UN had set a deadline of June for the group to reach consensus.
The UN the driving force behind the world
The five regional groups of the United Nations have been clustered as follows:
- Asia-Pacific group
- 53 Members states
- African group
- 53 Member states
- Latin American and Caribbean group
- 33 Member states
- Eastern European group
- 23 Members states
- Western European and other group
- 28 Member states & US as Observer
Australia is seeking to co-host next year’s summit with the Pacific to showcase its renewable energy transition. It had hoped to secure the bid, which has majority backing among its regional group, at COP29 in Azerbaijan. The Republic of Azerbaijan is a landlocked and transcontinental country situated at the boundary of West Asia as well as Eastern Europe. The UK, a WEOG member, last week reiterated its support for Australia and “expressed the hope that a decision would soon be reached” during Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations held in Sydney.
The continued deliberations between Australia and Turkey
But Turkey has rebuffed calls to drop out of the race and instead doubled down on its efforts during interim talks in Bonn last month. Turkey argues its Mediterranean location would help reduce emissions from flights bringing delegates to the conference and has pointed out its smaller oil and gas industry compared to Australia. Stiell said the deadlock was now affecting the planning of the COP process, involving thousands of delegates from 200 member countries.
Australia had also approached Turkey multiple times to find a “win-win” solution, he said. At the same event, Stiell also called on Australia to set an ambitious 2035 emissions target and accelerate its clean energy transition. Australia’s national climate plan, due in September, would be a “defining moment” that could send a message that “this country is open for clean investment, trade, and long-term partnerships”, he said.
The COP is not “all talk and no show”. They have a lot to present for all their efforts thus far. The Paris Agreement of 2015 is one of those. A vast number of countries worldwide committed to reduce emissions in such a way that global temperature rise is ideally 1.5 degrees C or below 2 degrees C. An agreement was also reached for an overall transition away from fossil fuels and a drive to scale up on clean energy. Protection of ecosystems is also another focus point.