Australia has conceded defeat in a bruising diplomatic struggle over hosting rights to next year's UN climate summit, with Turkey prevailing despite holding a much weaker hand.

Exactly who presides over the blockbuster global event is still in play, but Australia's long-running campaign to bring COP31 to Adelaide is over.

"Obviously, it would be great if Australia could have it all. But we can't have it all," said a dejected Chris Bowen, Australia's climate minister, in Brazil where this year's climate talks rumble on.

Just two days earlier in the rainforest city of Belem, where the unresolved standoff with Turkey risked a spat on the world stage, Bowen declared confidently: "We're in it to win it."

But despite its bid enjoying overwhelming support, Australia could not get around a qui

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