Cop31 host urges wealthy nations to prioritize climate funding over defense

The incoming Cop31 president, Murat Kurum, has called on wealthy countries to spend far more money on the climate crisis than on military defense. Speaking at a Pacific pre-Cop summit in Fiji, the Turkish minister stated that the climate issue is the security issue, according to the Guardian. Kurum noted that funding for climate action should exceed the 5 percent of gross domestic product pledged for defense by NATO members. [1]

The Guardian reported that Kurum hedged on whether international nations should attempt to repeat an earlier global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels. Fossil fuel consumption remains the primary cause of the climate crisis. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Turkey is set to host the COP31 climate summit, where European Union ministers plan to argue that transitioning away from fossil fuels enhances energy security. The United Nations Climate Change Conference has taken place every year since 1992 to help governments agree on policies to restrict rising global temperatures. [2][4]