- Foreign secretary Ed Miliband addressed world leaders at the Cop31 UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, warning that national security and defence objectives represent the new frontier of climate action as rapid global heating drives food shortages, economic disruption, and conflict.
- Miliband stated that an overshoot of the 1.5C global warming limit set in the 2015 Paris Agreement is now inevitable after global temperatures remained above pre-industrial levels for two consecutive years, cautioning that failure to cut historical emissions will result in severe hardship for billions of people.
- Highlighting the economic volatility caused by the ongoing war in Iran and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign secretary argued that reliance on fossil fuels creates systemic vulnerabilities that hostile states can exploit during global geopolitical crises.
- To tackle these security threats, Miliband called on governments to double down on emission reductions, invest heavily in clean energy for transport and heating, slash methane emissions, and expand forest protection, referencing the UK's recent £331 million pledge to the Global Environment Facility.
- The two-day leaders segment of the summit features key global figures including prime minister Andy Burnham, though environmental campaigners have warned that current British policies, such as approving new North Sea fossil fuel projects, risk derailing the country's net zero by 2050 target.
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