Our delegation will take forward our collective demands for climate action. This year, our advocacy will focus on the urgent need for governments to redirect their military spending — which reached an all-time high in 2023 — to climate mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and human security needs. 

With countries negotiating a new financial target as part of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), we demand that the Global North take responsibility for the harm caused by colonisation, extractivism and exploitation in the Global South by committing adequate resources to climate finance. 

The issue: Militarism, Money and the Climate Crisis   

WILPF’s environmental advocacy has long drawn attention to the devastating impacts of militarism on people and the planet.  

The global military is a major driver of the climate crisis, responsible for approximately 5.5% of total global emissions — more than double the emissions produced by the entire civilian aviation industry. This figure excludes emissions from current conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Gaza, where emissions from the first 120 days of conflict in Gaza alone exceeded the annual emissions of 26 countries and territories. 

Militarism, armed conflict and the climate crisis all have direct and disproportionate impacts on women, LGBTIQA+ individuals, Indigenous peoples and other marginalised populations. These impacts range from increased rates of gender-based violence to deepening poverty, increased likelihood of displacement to forced early marriage and more.  

Yet despite the vast consequences of militarism for people and the planet, military spending continues to escalate year after year — spending that further deepens the climate crisis while diverting valuable resources away from investments into climate mitigation, adaptation, addressing loss and damage and human security needs like health, education and social security.  

In fact, in 2023 global military expenditure rose for the ninth consecutive year to an all-time high of $2.443 trillion USD. And this increased expenditure has not meant more peace: between 2010 and 2022, conflicts taking place in the world almost doubled.  

As states focus on financing climate solutions at COP29, it is imperative that they commit to demilitarisation, including redirecting military spending to climate mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and human security needs. This is especially true for the world’s richest countries, which are spending 30 times more on their militaries than on providing climate-relate finance support for the world’s most vulnerable countries.  

WILPF’s Demands at COP29 

Before, during and after COP29, WILPF’s delegation will participate in webinars, events, talks and actions focused on the following key demands: 

• Equitable fossil fuel phase out: All countries must step up their climate solution ambitions through enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) before 2025 with stronger targets for 2030 and 2035 that include reporting of military emissions. 

• Climate finance: Parties must explore routes for reducing military spending and redirecting those resources to climate finance, including mitigation, adaptation and the Loss and Damage Fund.  

• Loss and damage: The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), established following a historic agreement at COP28, is a crucial resource that will be particularly impactful for low-income countries affected by climate-related disasters. However, it must be appropriately invested in and managed 

Meet the WILPF Delegates 

• Áine Beattie is an intersectional feminist from the Scottish Highlands who has been the WILPF Scottish Branch Secretary since 2023. She is also a trustee of a young women’s leadership organisation.  
• Åse Møller-Hansen is a peace activist from Norway. As a member of WILPF Norway, she has campaigned for many years against uranium weapons and is now working to create awareness about the need to move the money from war to peace and climate action.  

At COP29, WILPF’s delegation will engage in a number of speaking events, actions and meetings. Visit our COP29 campaign page on wilpf.org to stay updated! 

Follow Along and Get Involved! 

There’s no time to waste. As the climate crisis escalates, states must urgently act to redirect rampant military spending to climate solutions that will ensure a safer, more peaceful future for generations to come.  

You can get involved by following along as we head to COP29 and amplifying our messages! Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and make sure to share and engage. See you there!  

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