Key facts
- Wealthy countries should spend "much more" on climate than defense, according to Cop31 president-designate Murat Kurum.
- Kurum stated that the climate issue is the security issue.
- Kurum hedged on whether Cop31 should repeat the "transition away from fossil fuels" agreement.
- The pre-Cop meeting in Fiji was attended by 13 national leaders and about 30 ministers.
- Tuvalu, a low-lying atoll nation, is at high risk from rising sea levels and extreme weather.
- A UN report warned that global heating could reach at least 1.8C, exceeding the Paris agreement's 1.5C goal.
Wealthy nations should allocate significantly more resources to addressing the climate crisis than to defense, according to Murat Kurum, the designated president of the upcoming Cop31 climate summit in Turkey. Kurum stated that the climate issue is inherently a security issue, suggesting that proactive spending on climate action is more cost-effective than dealing with post-disaster consequences.
Kurum, who is also Turkey's climate change minister, expressed that the world is "already in a transition" and suggested that focusing on fossil fuel use might not be productive at the upcoming summit, as further progress on phasing them out could be difficult. This stance comes as Australia, which holds the role of "president of negotiations" for Cop31, pushed for a pre-Cop meeting in Fiji to draw attention to island nations most vulnerable to climate change.
During the pre-Cop meeting, Pacific leaders reiterated their demands for "keeping 1.5C alive," accessible climate finance for vulnerable nations, and prioritizing ocean health. Australia's climate change minister, Chris Bowen, highlighted the inadequacy of current climate finance for small island developing countries, noting that only 0.2% is spent on adaptation.
Delegates visited Tuvalu, a low-lying atoll nation facing existential threats from rising sea levels and extreme weather. A recent UN environment program report warned that global heating could reach at least 1.8C, exceeding the Paris agreement's 1.5C goal, underscoring the urgency for emissions cuts.