COP31 Host Urges NATO Nations to Spend More on Climate Than Defense

The host of the COP31 climate summit, Turkey, is urging NATO nations to prioritize spending on climate change mitigation over defense budgets. This call comes after Turkey announced plans to significantly increase its investments in renewable energy sources in the coming years, although they also intend to expand oil and gas production.

The summit will be held in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9th to 20th, and involves government representatives, businesses, and civil society leaders from around the world. The event marks the first time Turkey and Australia have co-presided over the conference.

Earlier this year, a pre-summit meeting took place in Fiji, where Pacific leaders emphasized the need for COP countries to take action to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, increase climate finance for vulnerable communities, and prioritize ocean health. Australia's climate change minister, Chris Bowen, stressed the need to shift 0.2% of global climate finance to support small island developing nations struggling with climate impacts.

COP31 President-designate, Murat Kurum, from Turkey, argued that NATO countries should focus more on combating climate change rather than spending heavily on defense, asserting that climate change is a greater threat to safety and security. Kurum urged NATO members to invest more than the planned 5% increase in their defense budgets by 2035 into addressing the climate crisis, stating that "the climate issue is the security issue itself."

He emphasized that investing in climate action is cheaper before disasters occur compared to spending 10 times more afterwards.

Both Kurum and Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen called for COP31 to focus on achieving a global goal of 35% of energy for homes, businesses, factories, and vehicles coming from electricity by 2035, up from the current 21%. The president-designate suggested that the world is already transitioning away from fossil fuels and that further progress may not be possible, a stance supported by some oil-producing states.

However, the International Energy Agency and Pacific island leaders continue to advocate for an urgent phaseout of fossil fuels.

Turkey's government published an agenda for COP31 aimed at translating existing climate commitments into tangible projects and measurable results. Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, during a speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York, acknowledged the challenges of expecting all countries to make the same progress on climate policy due to inequalities in access to financing and technology. He stated that a just transition must be shaped by each country's conditions, resources, and development priorities.