As preparations intensify for the 31st UN climate summit (COP31) scheduled next month in Antalya, Turkey, both Turkey and Australia, the event’s co-hosts, face criticism for their continued reliance on coal and other fossil fuels. Activists and climate campaigners argue that despite hosting a conference aimed at accelerating the global energy transition, both countries have not prioritized plans to phase out fossil fuels, a central issue for many nations attending the talks.
Ahead of the two-week conference, which begins in late November, a preparatory meeting is underway this week in Fiji and Tuvalu. Over 50 countries are expected to participate, including Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Australia’s role as “president of negotiations” at COP31 raises expectations that the summit will spotlight the vulnerabilities of low-lying Pacific island nations. However, some invited leaders from outside the region have canceled; notably, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul withdrew due to severe flooding in Bangkok.
The criticism intensifies as Australia recently approved the largest expansion of a coal mine in New South Wales, extending the Hunter Valley Operations thermal coalmine for an additional 19 years. Owned by Yancoal and Glencore, this extension could emit an estimated 809 million tonnes of carbon dioxide if federal approval is granted. This development appears at odds with the goals of the summit and Australia’s own climate commitments.
According to an analysis by 350.org citing UN trade data, Australia’s coal exports to Turkey have contributed to over 75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015. Both countries are also expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade amid the ongoing global energy crisis. The campaign group has criticized the lack of explicit reference to fossil fuels in preparatory summit documents authored by Turkey and Australia. Prime Minister Albanese did not mention fossil fuels in his recent keynote speech at Climate Week in New York.
350.org’s Andreas Sieber called for both hosts to demonstrate leadership by outlining clear coal phase-out timelines, noting that the current silence from the COP31 presidency undermines efforts to tackle the climate crisis. “Rather than leading the transition away, both countries are still expanding fossil fuels at extreme rates,” Sieber said.
Australia has made strides in expanding renewable energy domestically but remains a major exporter of coal and LNG, with export revenues expected to exceed A$140 billion this year. Meanwhile, Turkey is Europe’s largest coal power generator and plans indicate potential growth in coal and gas-fired power capacity by roughly 30% by 2035.
Climate Action Minister Chris Bowen acknowledged Australia’s status as a fossil fuel exporter but emphasized the country’s commitment to addressing climate change, calling clean energy exports a strategic economic priority. Bowen highlighted Australian efforts to support trading partners in their energy transitions.
The arrangement for COP31 is unique, with Turkey assuming overall hosting responsibilities, including a green trade fair, while Australia oversees formal negotiations involving nearly 200 nations. This follows a difficult negotiation process at last year’s COP30 in Brazil, where discussions on fossil fuel phase-outs were limited to voluntary agreements after resistance from oil-exporting countries. Tensions over fossil fuel commitments led 57 nations to convene a separate conference in Colombia earlier this year focused specifically on fossil fuel transition.
Voices from the Pacific region have expressed frustration. Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu described Australia’s coalmine expansion decision as “deeply disappointing,” warning it sends a conflicting message during critical negotiations. Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare noted the contrasting approaches taken by both hosts, citing Australia’s approval of multiple fossil fuel projects and Turkey’s continued investment in coal and gas infrastructure under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
COP31 takes place amid mounting concern over a potential “super El Niño” event and warnings from the UN Environment Programme that the world is on track to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming limit. The agency stressed that even small increments in global temperature rise will worsen extreme weather, glacier melt, biodiversity loss, and sea level rise, particularly threatening island and coastal communities. This underscores the urgent need for rapid and sustained emissions reductions, a challenge that many expect the summit to confront despite ongoing political complexities.