Early Thursday, it was confirmed that Australia has ceded hosting rights for next year’s global climate conference, the United Nations’ COP31, to Turkey.
The decision comes during COP30, currently underway in Brazil, where negotiations on 2026 hosting rights have been ongoing. Over the last few years, Australia – in a joint bid with the Pacific Islands – and Turkey have both been vying strongly to host the 2026 iteration of the world’s most high-profile climate meeting.
It is unusual for the host to be chosen so late, however with host selection for COP gatherings determined by consensus, either Australia or Turkey had to drop out of the race in order for the conference destination to be confirmed.
If neither country had conceded, the event would have been held in Bonn, Germany, where the secretariat to the United Nations’ climate change efforts is based.
Given the scale of the event and its complexity, the delayed decision on the host is not ideal. The annual meeting attracts tens of thousands of delegates from around the world, including government officials and dignitaries.
In the run-up to this week’s hosting outcome, Turkey has consistently refused to drop out of hosting contention, after it ceded rights to be home to COP26 in 2021, which was held in Scotland.
According to Australia’s federal government, as part of the deal for Australia to withdraw its bid, a pre-COP meeting will be held in the Pacific Islands and Australia’s climate change minister, Chris Bowen, will take on the role of COP president for COP negotiations in 2026.
South Australian premier Malinauskas said on Thursday morning that he was disappointed that the federal government wasn’t able to secure the event at the international level, but said Adelaide’s position as Australia’s host city if the bid had been successful had already had a positive impact.
“One of the legacies of us winning the rights at a city level nationally, is that it’s a demonstration that increasingly Adelaide is on the map for major events – in fact we’ve already seen a lot of interest generated through Business Events Adelaide and the Adelaide Convention Centre on the back of the fact that our name was associated with such a large endeavour.
“So it’s just a demonstration that we continue to push forward and continue to demonstrate internationally we are capable of big events and doing them exceedingly well.”
Malinauskas also discussed Turkey’s determination to host next year’s COP after withdrawing in 2021 and said he hoped Australia’s government would emulate Turkey’s attitude when the next COP hosting opportunity comes up for Australia in 2032.
“I hope the federal government takes a similar position to Turkey when it contemplates the 2032 opportunity and it would be my firm expectation that in the event that that approach was taken and proved to be successful as it has been for Turkey, that Adelaide would find itself as the host city.”
In Thursday’s press conference, the premier confirmed that of the $8 million allocated in the most recent state budget to hosting COP, $1.3 million had been spent by the Department of Premier and Cabinet and $2.5 million had been spent by South Australia Police.
Business Events Adelaide also released a statement following Australia’s COP concession, highlighting the city’s healthy pipeline of business events over the next few years.
The city has more than $1 billion worth of business events set to be held in Adelaide over the next three years, in addition to $3.1 billion of potential business.
“Although not directly involved in the bidding process, Business Events Adelaide shares the state government’s disappointment that COP31 will not be held in Adelaide,” said Business Events Adelaide’s CEO, Damien Kitto.
“Our initial conversations with organisations planning to attend COP – and many others in the sustainability sector – indicated a strong interest in Adelaide as a destination renowned for its environmental credentials.
“We will continue those conversations, and although the ‘main event’ won’t be in South Australia next year, we hope we have piqued the interest of associated organisations to consider Adelaide in future.”
Kitto said the bureau understood many hotels and event venues in Adelaide had been restricting bookings over the COP period next year in case Australia won the bid.
“Now that Adelaide will not be the host city, we have a plan to support these establishments – many of which are Business Events Adelaide members.
“There are 18 business events valued at over $23 million to be held next spring that are currently being bid for to add to business already on the books.
“That said, our forward projections are as strong as ever.
“As well as confirmed business, there is a pipeline of potential business events valued at more than $3.1 billion, so there is everything to play for as our global profile builds.
“Whilst COP would have been the icing on the cake, it is ‘business as usual’ for us as a key economic driver for South Australia.”
Business Events Adelaide announced record results for the most recent financial year, securing business events worth over $684 million for the state.
