Australia has accepted a compromise arrangement in which Antalya, Turkey will host the upcoming annual climate summit (COP31) while Australia will assume the presidency of negotiations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced this week.

The decision follows a prolonged impasse between Australia and Turkey that threatened to derail next year’s gathering.

Australia’s campaign to host the summit had spanned over three years and was based in Adelaide, South Australia, with strong support from Pacific island nations and a narrative tying the event to Australia’s transition to renewable energy and regional climate leadership.

However, Turkey’s firm refusal to withdraw its bid created a deadlock under the consensus-based rules of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which required unanimity within the Western Europe and Others Group of member states.

The compromise sees Turkey assuming the summit presidency and hosting duties in Antalya, while Australia’s Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen will serve as president of negotiations—giving Australia control of the agenda, draft text preparation and facilitation of near two hundred negotiating countries.

The deal also envisages a pre-COP event held in a Pacific island nation, designed to elevate the voice of the Pacific and emphasise Australia’s commitment to the region.

Mr Albanese framed the agreement as a “strong solution” for Australia, asserting that while the country will not host the full event, its leadership role puts it “in one of the strongest positions possible” within global climate diplomacy.

The arrangement is unusual: past summits have combined hosting and presidency roles in a single country, but analysts suggest the split may reflect pragmatic diplomacy to prevent a default to Bonn, Germany—a backup option that both Australia and Turkey had sought to avoid.

Pacific island leaders, however, expressed disappointment that Australia will not host the summit, arguing their region had hoped for a high-profile platform in Adelaide to highlight existential climate risks.

Domestic critics raised concerns about the cost of a hosting bid, with one political figure describing it as a “vanity project”.

Despite the setbacks, Australia’s government emphasises the new role allows it to retain influence and advance its priorities—such as a just transition, climate finance, and regional solidarity—through the negotiation process rather than the staging of the event itself.

The final agreement must still be endorsed by the COP plenary, and preparations will now focus on consolidating the roles, shaping the agenda and safeguarding civil-society inclusion ahead of next year’s summit.

The arrangement marks a pivotal moment in Australia’s climate diplomacy.

With the presidency settled but hosting rights transferred, the next twelve months will test whether the hybrid model can deliver both leadership and substance in a highly consequential global setting.