Wealthy nations should allocate substantially more money to tackling climate change than they have pledged for defence, Turkish Climate Change Minister and COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum has said, warning that the climate crisis poses a serious threat to global security.
Speaking on the sidelines of a preparatory meeting for the United Nations climate summit in Fiji, Kurum argued that investing in climate action before disasters occur would be far less expensive than dealing with their consequences. He pointed to NATO members’ commitment to raise defence spending to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035, saying that climate-related threats deserved even greater financial attention.
“The climate issue is the security issue itself,” Kurum said, adding that countries needed to invest much more in preventing climate disasters rather than paying heavily for recovery after they strike. Kurum was among the political leaders, ministers, officials and civil society representatives who gathered in Nadi, Fiji, to prepare for the COP31 climate conference, scheduled to be held in Antalya, Turkey, in November. Australia is overseeing negotiations for the summit, while Turkey will host the event.
The preparatory meeting brought together about 30 ministers, representatives of major greenhouse gas emitters, international agency officials and nearly 4,000 other participants.
Only 13 national leaders attended alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with most coming from Pacific island nations that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather. The meeting highlighted the growing concerns of small island states, which are demanding stronger international commitments to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, improve access to climate finance and protect ocean ecosystems.
A delegation of participants also visited Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific island nation with a population of around 10,000. Much of the country lies only about two metres above sea level, leaving it exposed to rising waters, storm surges and increasingly severe weather events. Officials were shown a 20-hectare land reclamation project intended to help the country cope with the threat.
During the visit, 13-year-old Melelusi Sokotia spoke about the uncertainty facing children in Tuvalu, explaining how concerns about whether they could continue living safely in their homeland were overshadowing their aspirations to become teachers, doctors and builders.
The visit reinforced calls from Pacific leaders for wealthier nations to provide accessible financial assistance to communities facing the greatest climate risks despite contributing relatively little to the problem. Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said only 0.2% of global climate finance was directed towards helping small island developing states adapt to climate change. He stressed that countries most in need of support were receiving the least and said addressing this imbalance would be a priority at COP31.
The urgency of the issue was further underlined by a recent United Nations Environment Programme report, which warned that global temperatures could rise by at least 1.8 degrees Celsius even under the most optimistic scenario. This would exceed the 1.5-degree limit set out in the Paris climate agreement.
The report called for immediate and sustained emissions reductions, noting that every fraction of a degree of warming avoided could save lives and limit economic losses.
However, the question of how countries should reduce their dependence on fossil fuels remains a major point of disagreement ahead of the summit. Turkey and Australia supported a joint statement at the Fiji meeting backing a global transition away from fossil fuels, echoing language adopted at COP28 in Dubai.
Both countries have nevertheless faced criticism over their continued support for new coal and gas projects. Kurum said the world was already undergoing an energy transition and suggested that progress could be achieved through measures such as expanding renewable energy rather than focusing exclusively on direct commitments to phase out fossil fuels.
Bowen similarly argued that renewable energy capacity should be expanded sufficiently to eliminate the need for fossil-fuel power plants. Kurum and Bowen also said they would seek international support at COP31 for a target of generating 35% of the energy used by homes, businesses, factories and vehicles through electricity by 2035.
The current share stands at around 21%. Meanwhile, climate campaigners and several countries continue to push for stronger commitments to end fossil fuel use, including restrictions on new projects. The Fiji meeting concluded with renewed appeals for governments to translate their commitments into action. Fiji’s Climate Minister Lynda Tabuya urged delegates to remember the communities they had encountered during the visit and carry their concerns into future negotiations.
With governments from around 190 countries expected to participate in COP31, the November summit will face mounting pressure to secure stronger climate financing, accelerate emissions reductions and establish a clearer path towards a cleaner energy future.
