Turkey and Australia unveil new partnership model for COP31 in Antalya

Key facts

• The President‑Designate of COP31, appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, issued a letter dated 13 April outlining the vision for the summit.
• Turkey will hold the presidency of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and host the summit in Antalya.
• Australia, represented by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, will serve as COP31 President of Negotiations with exclusive authority to lead negotiations.
• The new Turkey‑Australia partnership model is described as a departure from previous COP structures, combining Turkey’s presidency and host duties with Australia’s lead in negotiations.
• The Action Agenda prioritises zero‑waste and circular‑economy approaches, acceleration of the clean‑energy transition, green and low‑carbon industrialisation, resilience of vulnerable regions and oceans, food security, sustainable agriculture, climate‑resilient cities, and strengthening of financial and institutional mechanisms.
• The presidency appointed Samed Ağırbaş as Climate High‑Level Champion and Sally Higgins as Youth Climate Champion.
• Fatma Varank will act as Chief Executive Officer of the COP31 presidency, overseeing strategy, negotiations preparation and coordination.
• The Troika approach linking the past, current and future presidencies involves Brazil, Azerbaijan and Turkey to ensure stability and predictability.
• A Pre‑COP meeting is scheduled in Fiji from 5 to 8 October 2026, including a leaders’ event in Tuvalu.
• The guiding principles for the presidency are Dialogue, Consensus and Action, aimed at strengthening participation, ownership of outcomes and concrete implementation.