Australia has ceded next year’s United Nations climate conference – COP 31 – to Turkey, but has negotiated a fall back that gives Climate Minister Chris Bowen a prominent role.
Under the arrangement, Australia has also secured a pre-COP meeting to be held in the Pacific.
While the failure to obtain the COP – which was to be held in Adelaide – will be seen as a major blow by the climate lobby, some in the Albanese government will privately welcome it. The cost of the COP was being estimated at least A$1 billion and possibly $2 billion, and enthusiasm for it in senior levels of the government had been declining in recent months.
