Papua New Guinea’s top diplomat has accused Türkiye of pushing its "own agenda" after it successfully pushed to host the COP31 climate conference next year.
Australia and Türkiye had both been angling to host COP31. But on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia's bid would be withdrawn — avoiding a collapse of negotiations that would have forced COP31 to default to Bonn, Germany.
Papua New Guinea's foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko vented his frustration over the decision.
“What is Türkiye doing to reduce climate change? They are only making it worse,” he told SBS News.
“We were taken aback at Türkiye pushing its own agenda.”
He said it’s been clear for some time that Türkiye was not going to back down from its rival bid for the event.
“Türkiye was adamant they were going to host it by hook or by crook.”
Australia has dropped its lobbying effort to secure COP31 hosting rights in collaboration with Pacific nations and hold the world’s biggest annual climate conference in Adelaide.
Instead of brokering a deal to ensure a smaller Pacific meeting is still held, and Australia is given the position of leading COP negotiations in Türkiye.
“We are disappointed,” Tkatchenko said.
But he praised Australia for working to secure a compromise that involves Pacific engagement.
“That is a good win as well.”
He said the Pacific was responsible for “zero emissions” and he had been hoping other countries would visit the region and be held accountable for their contribution to global warming.
South Australia premier 'disappointed'
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has said he's disappointed next year's United Nations climate summit won't be in Adelaide as he took aim at the "obscene" hosting rights process.
Albanese has talked up the decision, though it hasn't been without criticism.
Adelaide was set to host COP31 after the South Australian government "worked hard to change the federal government's mind" about holding the event on the eastern seaboard if Australia was successful, Malinauskas said on Thursday.
Malinauskas said he understood "the position" Albanese had taken but was critical of what he labelled an "obscene" process.
"He [Albanese] has taken a position to try and navigate the frankly obscene process that exists internationally," Malinauskas said.
He said he was "disappointed ... the Australian government could not win the rights internationally".
"We won local rights and I'm disappointed the federal government could not go the next step."
Albanese calls it a 'big win' despite concession
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, Australia's representative at the COP talks, said an in-principle deal would lead to the summit moving to the Turkish city of Antalya, and him taking the role of COP negotiations president, with a lead-up event hosted in the Pacific.
Albanese praised the decision as "a big win", despite three years of campaigning to bring the COP31 climate talks to Adelaide, in partnership with Pacific nations.
"We will be the negotiator on climate policy globally over the next year and during the conference. That is a very worthwhile investment," he told the ABC on Thursday.
"Had we not put in bid for the COP that certainly wouldn't have occurred, and that will enable us to prioritise the issues that are confronting the Pacific, the very existence of countries like Tuvulu and Kiribati," Albanese said.
Bowen said he kept Pacific hopes front and centre through the negotiations, with the compromise model including a "pre-COP" event in the Pacific, which will act as a pledging event for a Pacific climate financing fund.
"Obviously, it would be great if Australia could have it all. But we can't have it all," he said
Greens leader Larissa Waters said it was "an embarrassing outcome".
"It was clear from the start that the government didn't really want to host a climate summit," she said.
"The prime minister never really wanted to host a climate conference if it meant being honest about the future of coal and gas while his mining corporation mates are watching. If COP came to Australia, it would have been a good opportunity for the world's leaders to grill Labor for their terrible track record on climate action."
Bowen defends concession
Bowen stressed the compromise was necessary to avoid the worst-case scenario "with a lack of leadership, no COP president in place, no plan".
"That would mean 12 months with a lack of leadership … that would be irresponsible for multilateralism," he said.
Asked whether Australia had made a major concession, Bowen said Türkiye had also given ground.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley said she believed Türkiye is doing the Australian government a favour.
"The fact that this government even considered spending $2 billion of taxpayers money on this exercise just goes to show how their priorities are all wrong," she said on Thursday.
"Chris Bowen is very disappointed today, I am sure, but Australians should be very pleased with the decision that was taken away from this country and made overseas."
While refusing to say exactly how much the federal government has spent on drawing the COP31 summit to Australia, Albanese defended the cost as a "relatively small amount".
Bowen said some would be disappointed, but more would have been disappointed "if it had gone to Bonn without a COP president in place".
"This is a better outcome than that."
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