19 November 2025, Belém, Brazil
The Smart Energy Council is deeply disappointed by today’s concession that will see Türkiye handed the prize of physically hosting the UN’s COP31 Climate Conference, despite Australia securing the right to preside over the preparations and execution of the negotiations.
The CEO of the Smart Energy Council, John Grimes, said “For two years, the Turkish Government has held the COP hostage and today Australia has given in.”
“It is an indictment on Türkiye and the process that they were able to stand in the way of the overwhelming support from the Pacific and other countries for a Pacific COP31,” Mr. Grimes said.
While Australia may have ceded the physical hosting of the COP negotiations, the Smart Energy Council calls on the Government to convene in their own right the world’s largest green trade fair that ordinarily sits alongside it.
“For three years the Government has talked about the massive economic opportunity of hosting what is also the world’s largest green trade, tech and investment event. The Government owes it to the Australian people and our Pacific and Southeast Asian friends to ensure we retain the multi-billion dollar economic prize that was on offer by decoupling this green trade fair from the COP negotiations and convening such an event in our own right,” Mr. Grimes said.
The Smart Energy Council’s Senior International Fellow and former climate diplomat, Thom Woodroofe, said “Australia’s hands must be well and truly and solely on the helm of the international climate negotiations. The important thing now is then what we actually do with the presidency no matter where the COP is held.”
“An ambitious COP31 can then mean Australia doing things like championing a new global rooftop solar pledge, setting a roadmap for the Pacific to become the first region in the world to achieve 100% renewables, and ratcheting up global climate ambition, including through new frameworks to ramp up electrification. We have no time to waste,” Mr. Woodroofe said.
The Smart Energy Council commends Minister Bowen and his team for their tireless efforts in pursuit of Australia’s bid, and the Pacific’s tireless advocacy for a Pacific COP31.
“There will be plenty of post-mortems, but there should be no doubts about the fact that Chris Bowen worked his absolute guts out to try and deliver a Pacific COP31. Australia will now need to also ensure the Pre-COP hosted in the Pacific becomes a high-level summit that helps deliver on the Pacific’s priorities, including achieving 100% renewables,” Mr. Grimes said.
—Ends —
John Grimes and Thom Woodroofe are available for media via Tim Lamacraft – tim@smartenergy.org.au – 0448 972 192
