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Whoever wins would wish unanimous backing from the 28 nations within the United Nation’s Western Europe and Others regional group
BAKU, Azerbaijan – Australia and Turkey are in a standoff over which nation is best suited to host United Nations local weather change talks in 2026, with neither prepared to surrender on their bid.
Each nations have been within the operating since 2022, however issues have come to a head at this yr’s COP29 summit being held this week in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Australia’s local weather minister made a last-minute cease in Turkey on Friday, November 15, his workplace confirmed, hoping to achieve a deal on the Australian bid. Nonetheless, Turkish officers declined to drop their bid and the 2 stay in talks.
The host has a central function in brokering compromises on the annual summit and steering the ultimate part of negotiations. This may ship each diplomatic status and a world platform to advertise the nation’s inexperienced industries.
The COP summit is the centerpiece of world local weather diplomacy, the place practically 200 nations collect to barter joint plans and funding to avert the worst impacts of rising temperatures.
Each nation has a shot at internet hosting, in the event that they need to, as a member of one in every of 5 regional teams to take it in turns.
That system has drawn criticism as fossil gas producers together with the United Arab Emirates have performed host — elevating considerations amongst campaigners over whether or not nations that are deeply invested in polluting industries may be trustworthy brokers of local weather talks.
Fatma Varank, Turkey’s deputy setting minister, informed Reuters that the nation’s Mediterranean location would assist cut back emissions from flights bringing delegates to the convention, and highlighted its smaller oil and fuel business in contrast with Australia.
Australia is among the many world’s largest exporters of fossil fuels.
“We don’t deny the truth that we’ve historically been a fossil gas exporter, however we’re in the midst of a transition to altering to export renewable vitality,” Australia’s local weather minister Chris Bowen informed Reuters at COP29.
“We’ve a narrative to inform,” he mentioned, explaining that Australia was pitching a ‘Pacific COP’ to raise points affecting the area’s susceptible island states.
Turkey, which has a small oil and fuel business, will get round 80% of its vitality from fossil fuels and was Europe’s second-largest producer of coal-fired electrical energy in 2023.
It supplied to host the COP26 talks in 2021 however withdrew its bid, permitting Britain to preside over the summit. Varank mentioned Turkey was reluctant to step apart once more.
Whoever wins would wish unanimous backing from the 28 nations within the UN’s Western Europe and Others regional group. There isn’t any agency deadline, though hosts are sometimes confirmed years upfront to present them time to arrange.
Members together with Germany, Canada and Britain have publicly backed Australia. Pacific leaders have backed Australia on the situation that it elevates the local weather points they undergo akin to coastal erosion and rising seas.
Fiji’s local weather secretary Sivendra Michael informed Reuters the nation backed Australia’s bid.
“However we’re additionally cautiously reminding them of the nationwide efforts that they should make to transition away from fossil fuels,” Michael mentioned.
Turkey declined to say which members of the regional group had supplied it assist. – Rappler.com
