Who holds the gavel? COP31's unusual Australia-Türkiye deal

Australia and Türkiye are co-hosting the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in November, but the unusual decision to share leadership has raised questions about who holds the power. Turkiye will stage the summit in the city of Antalya, while Australia will run the formal negotiations. This dual-presidency model has no precedent at UN climate summits and its success is not guaranteed, according to Anna Perez Catala from the Paris-based policy think tank IDDRI.

The climate summits typically rotate between regional blocs, with the host selected by consensus. However, Australia and Türkiye became rival bidders for the 2026 summit, leading to a diplomatic stalemate. After extensive talks, a compromise was reached: Turkiye would be COP31 president and host the summit, while Australia would be the president of negotiations with exclusive authority.

Pre-COP meetings are being held in Fiji and Tuvalu to address Australia's original desire for a Pacific focus. The compromise resolved the hosting deadlock, but questions over the specifics have emerged. Turkish environment minister Murat Kurum insists he is the COP31 president, while Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen acknowledges there is some nervousness over the unique arrangement but emphasizes the benefits and potential.

When asked who would bring down the final gavel at COP31, Bowen replied, "Kurum and I... Together." However, Kurum has stressed that Türkiye is not co-chairing COP31 with Australia. The novel arrangement remains to be seen whether it will work out smoothly, especially considering the fragile moment for climate diplomacy and the high stakes involved.