Bowen to lead COP31 talks as Australia takes the negotiating chair for the first time

Australia will lead the negotiations at the UN climate summit for the first time when talks begin on Monday, 9 November 2026. The summit, known as COP31, runs in Antalya, Türkiye, until 20 November. Chris Bowen, Australia's climate change and energy minister, will serve as president of negotiations, the role of steering the bargaining between countries.

COP31 is the 31st annual UN climate conference, where governments try to agree on joint action on global warming. Negotiations involve bringing nearly 190 countries to consensus, meaning agreement from all of them. On 5 November, Guardian Australia published a podcast in which Adam Morton, the outlet's climate and environment editor, interviewed Bowen about how he will reach that consensus.

Türkiye is the host and holds the overall presidency, with President Erdogan leading that role. Bowen said at a press conference in Nadi, Fiji, in October that Türkiye presides over COP31 while Australia presides over the negotiations. A joint statement from the two governments from November 2025 set out that Türkiye would host, with Australia leading negotiations to advance Pacific interests. The Australian government has also committed to advocate for its Pacific neighbours at the summit.

The COP31 Presidency has announced two targets. The first is to raise the share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20% to 35% by 2035. The second is to halve the growth in global waste by 2035. These are announcements of goals, not measures that have been carried out.

Bowen has been closely involved in the bid from the start. He drove the push to secure COP31 within the Albanese government. In April 2026 he said the oil shock stemming from the Iran war underlined the need to move away from fossil fuels.

The summit's outcome will depend on whether the negotiators can bring the full group of nearly 190 countries into agreement over the next two weeks.