Papua New Guinea ‘not happy’ as Australia walks away from bid to host Cop31

Toruar Island in the Pacific, whose land mass is decreasing due to rising sea levels. Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister has criticised Australia’s decision to drop its bid to host the Cop31 climate conference in 2026. Photograph: Kalolaine Fainu/The Guardian

Papua New Guinea has voiced frustration after Australia ditched a bid to co-host next year’s UN climate talks with its Pacific island neighbours.

“We are all not happy. And disappointed it’s ended up like this,” foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko told Agence France-Presse after Australia ceded hosting rights to Turkey.