World leaders are leaving Antalya on the fifth day of Cop31, allowing real negotiations to finally start. A first draft of the cover decision could arrive soon. Meanwhile, the search for a Cop33 host continues after India dropped its proposal, leaving several Asian nations as potential bidders for the event.
Real negotiations can begin as world leaders depart
Fiona Harvey
Good morning. Nearly all of the more than 90 world leaders who descended on Antalya in the past three days have now packed up their suitcases and lit out, some of them for the EU’s AI summit in Dublin. Anthony Albanese and the UN secretary-general are among the few to linger but will also head off later today.
With the departure of the circus, the real negotiations can begin, and a first draft of the cover decision for this Cop could come as soon as today, though over the weekend or Monday are still more likely. Look out for wording on the “overshoot” of 1.5C, climate science, the all-important transition away from fossil fuels, the electrification target and finance. The current “wishlist” can be perused here.
As double-hosted Cop31 gathers steam, the quest is also on for a venue for Cop33. Next year’s event will be in Ethiopia, and according to the complex systems of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the meeting after that should be in Asia. But who will host?
As the Guardian revealed last night, it will not be China – a shame, according to many experts, who had been hoping that the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and second biggest economy would step up. China is undergoing a massive economic transformation, swapping reliance on coal and oil for electricity generated from renewable sources. This has proved a boost to the country’s economy, as the clean and low-carbon sectors now make up more than a tenth of its GDP.
India also considered hosting Cop33, but dropped its early-stage proposal months ago. That leaves the field open, with Uzbekistan, Thailand, Korea and Indonesia also cited as potential bidders. No decision on the hosting is likely to be made at this Cop, as countries are likely to need more time to develop their bids.