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According to Politico, Türkiye and Australia are deadlocked, as both are determined to host the annual conference in 2026.

Intense diplomacy is underway around this year’s summit, which began Monday in Brazil and will last two weeks. If no solution is found, Germany, as the host country of the UN’s climate body, would be obliged to step in under the rules.

German Environment Ministry State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth said Monday, “We have to do it, but we don’t want to,” adding that organizing a host country within 12 months after the talks would strain Germany’s strict bureaucracy.

“These are not easy tasks,” Flasbarth added. “Germany needs more time to prepare for a conference. That’s why all our signals are saying: for heaven’s sake, let Australia and Türkiye reach an agreement to avoid this technical solution.”

According to a person directly familiar with the talks and another briefed on their details, German officials have recently sought assistance from British authorities to resolve the dispute between Ankara and Canberra.

Germany has also informed the UN Climate Secretariat that it does not wish to host the conference, according to one person familiar with the matter. The UN body declined to comment.

The negotiations rotate among five regional country groups. Türkiye, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia are part of the same group that must reach a decision by consensus. Australia’s proposal, submitted with Pacific island nations, is publicly supported by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

Turkish diplomats say Britain had promised to support Türkiye’s bid to host COP31 in 2026 in exchange for Türkiye withdrawing its offer to host the 2021 version. That conference was later held in Glasgow after Türkiye stepped aside in exchange for various diplomatic favors.

Ankara now accuses the UK of breaking its promise by backing Australia. British diplomats insist the UK only agreed to consider Australia’s proposal, not to endorse it.

This week, German officials questioned whether the UK could offer Türkiye a peace proposal that would allow Australia to host COP31 in Adelaide, South Australia.

Two sources close to the negotiations said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, offering for Türkiye to host the segment of the summit reserved for world leaders’ speeches, but Erdoğan has not responded.