Even great nations like Australia and Turkey get into conflicts because nations love it when they have power and influence. However, at times, such tensions or misunderstandings can delay certain events and activities that would need to transpire. The stakes are always high when world leaders come together to debate how to address the climate catastrophe. However, there are instances where the pre-meeting events might reveal just as much as the sessions themselves. Right now, two countries that don’t often share headlines. Australia and Turkey are at the centre of a diplomatic dance.
Australia and Turkey will end their protracted dispute
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. The United Nations climate chief also said that,
“A decision needs to be made very quickly. 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.”
Support for Australia’s COP31 candidacy grows, but Turkey isn’t giving up
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. 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 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. 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.
The UN wants everything to be in order and fixed quickly, and this is why
There is more to a climate meeting like COP31 than handshakes and speeches. These gatherings influence how nations vow to reduce pollution, how billions of dollars are allocated for climate funding, and how vulnerable areas receive assistance in coping with extreme weather. On the surface, a disagreement over the event’s location might seem insignificant.
However, it can hinder planning, reduce momentum, and run the risk of making an urgent task into a tiresome waiting game. Australia would have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and build regional ties by hosting. However, that vision might be lost if the impasse with Turkey does not end quickly. They need to fix things. Right now, Australia has backed with a boost of $283M. Orica hydrogen plan as momentum slows.
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. Maybe Turkey should just focus on its submitted draft proposal to Iraq to renew and expand an energy agreement. Right now, we want to see if a handshake can come out of this whole situation.
GCN.com/Reuters.
