Australia has been called upon to salvage at least something from the ruins of its campaign to host the UN annual climate summit in 2026 and to continue the fight for climate action next year. Three years of efforts to hold COP31 climate negotiations in Adelaide were effectively nullified on Thursday during desperate discussions about hosting the 2025 event in Brazil, reports the Australian Canberra Times.

Australia had looked likely to win, given strong support from most “Western” countries that were to decide the host, and its promise to hold the event in the climate-threatened Pacific region.

However, Türkiye indicated it would likely veto Australia’s bid, leading to a compromise agreement.

Australia’s Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, the country’s representative at the Conference of the Parties (COP) negotiations, stated that the agreement provides for the summit to be held in Antalya, while Australia will take the presidency of the negotiations, with Bowen leading the effort.

According to the publication, hosting the summit is highly significant for Australia, as many countries in the Pacific region face the threat of disappearing, and Australia itself — along with its world-famous coral reefs — suffers from ocean warming. “The presidency will allow us to put the issues facing the Pacific region, the very existence of countries such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, at the forefront,” the minister said on Australian ABC Radio