Guardian: The Coal Hypocrisy is Strong with COP31

Essay by Eric Worrall

Both host country Turkey and “President of Negotiations” Australia are players in the global coal supply chain – Australia exports, and Turkey imports.

Australia and Turkey criticised for hosting UN climate conference while embracing coal

Global campaign group 350.org urges Cop31 hosts to announce a coal phase-out date and national roadmaps to get off fossil fuels

Adam Morton in Nadi, Fiji
Mon 5 Oct 2026 01.00 AEDT

The hosts of the next major United Nations climate conference, Turkey and Australia, are facing criticism for being partners in a coal supply chain while remaining near silent on the need for a global deal to rapidly get off fossil fuels.

With the Cop31 summit in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya just a month away, the two countries running the fortnight-long talks have been accused by activists of a “vacuum of action” on plans for a transition away from coal, gas and oil – a key goal of many nations at the talks.

Preparations for Cop31 will kick up a gear this week with a small group of national leaders, including the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, expected to join representatives of more than 50 countries for a preparatory meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu.

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Few leaders from outside the region accepted.

The Fijian government named five expected attenders – from Thailand, Antigua and Barbuda, Cape Verde, the Maldives and Timor-Leste – but some have since cancelled. They include the Thai prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, as Bangkok suffered severe flooding.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/05/australia-and-turkey-criticised-for-hosting-un-climate-conference-while-embracing-coal

As WUWT recently noted, Australia has approved a major coal expansion;

The Guardian calls Climate Change Treachery on a Major Aussie Coal Mine Extension

Turkey just had a major Ponzi scheme collapse which seems to have involved people close to the government, and are suffering other serious economic setbacks, so if their economy contracts into a recession they might actually be in a position to report green progress.

What I find most entertaining about this year’s COP is the sheer lack of interest. I mean Australia threw on a free party in Fiji, and ended up having to stuff it full of cronies so they didn’t have too many empty seats.