WorldReutersUrgent climate finance pleas at COP31 face a non-urgent response
Poor nations hit hardest by climate disasters are again being told to wait for promised funding as rich countries spend more on defence and cost-of-living pressures.
Pleas for cash from poor nations most exposed to the kind of climate-related disasters that have marked this year risk meeting a sluggish response at COP31 talks as Western governments put national security and living costs first.
Vulnerable nations at COP31 in Turkey are pleading for climate funding that rich countries pledged but have been slow to deliver.
Rich countries agreed two years ago to triple climate funding to $300 billion a year by 2035, but the previous 2020 target was already met two years late.
With Western governments prioritising defence and domestic costs, small island nations say they are stuck in a permanent cycle of disaster recovery with shrinking budgets.
Australia is a developed nation with obligations under the $300 billion annual climate finance pledge due by 2035, so watch for how Canberra positions itself at COP31 talks in Antalya.
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