Murat Kurum, Turkey’s climate change minister and president-designate of Cop31, has called on wealthy countries to allocate significantly more resources toward addressing climate change than they commit to defense spending. He argued that wealthy nations within NATO have pledged to increase defense budgets to 5% of GDP by 2035 based on security concerns, yet have devoted substantially fewer resources to the climate crisis despite its potentially greater threat to national security.
The remarks came during a preparatory meeting held in Fiji this week ahead of the main Cop31 summit scheduled for November in Antalya, Turkey. The gathering brought together roughly 4,000 participants including 13 national leaders, approximately 30 ministers from various countries, and representatives from major economies including China and Saudi Arabia. Australia, serving as the negotiations president for Cop31, organized the pre-Cop meeting in the Pacific region to highlight the vulnerabilities of island nations facing climate-related threats. Delegates visited Tuvalu, a low-lying atoll nation where citizens face immediate risks from rising sea levels and intensifying weather events.
Key priorities emerging from the Fiji meeting include maintaining the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, improving access to climate finance for developing nations most vulnerable to climate impacts, and protecting ocean health. Australia’s climate minister noted that only 0.2% of global climate finance currently reaches small island developing states, despite their acute need for adaptation support. A recent UN environment program report indicated that even under optimistic scenarios, global heating would reach at least 1.8 degrees Celsius, surpassing the Paris Agreement threshold.
However, questions remain regarding the scope of commitments on fossil fuels. While both Turkey and Australia supported a statement endorsing a global “transition away from fossil fuels,” Kurum suggested that further progress on explicitly phasing out fossil fuel use may not be achievable. He characterized the world as already undergoing transition and proposed addressing the issue indirectly through other mechanisms. This position drew criticism given Turkey’s continued backing of new coal and gas projects. Oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia and Russia have historically opposed specific language about fossil fuel phase-out at previous climate summits.
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