The president-designate for Cop31, Murat Kurum, called for wealthy countries to allocate substantially more resources toward addressing climate change than the defense spending commitments made by NATO members. Speaking during preparatory meetings held in Fiji this week, Kurum argued that climate action represents a more critical security concern than military expenditure, noting that preventative climate investments are more cost-effective than responding to climate-related disasters after they occur.
Kurum’s remarks came as representatives from approximately 190 countries gathered in the Pacific ahead of the main climate summit scheduled for November in Antalya, Turkey. The preparatory sessions included visits to Tuvalu, a low-lying atoll nation facing acute threats from rising sea levels and extreme weather. During these visits, climate vulnerability was underscored through testimonies from residents and youth leaders describing the existential challenges facing their communities.
Despite backing language supporting a “transition away from fossil fuels” at the pre-conference meeting, Kurum suggested that further progress on explicit commitments to phase out coal and gas may not be achievable. He characterized the world as already undergoing a transition and indicated that indirect approaches through renewable energy expansion might be more productive than direct fossil fuel elimination agreements. This position contrasts with demands from vulnerable island nations and several countries seeking concrete commitments on fuel phase-out language in the final agreement.
Climate finance emerged as a central issue, with Australian officials highlighting that only a fraction of global climate funding reaches vulnerable developing nations most in need. Both the Australian and Turkish delegations indicated priorities for increasing renewable energy adoption targets, while acknowledging the contentious nature of fossil fuel discussions that have stalled progress at recent climate conferences. The summit is expected to address these disputes while confronting projections indicating global temperatures will exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree threshold under current policy trajectories.
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