It is a paradox that had already been highlighted, a few months ago, by the too-often-ignored United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. And all the data on the subject that emerged in 2024 unfortunately confirmed it. But in his end-of-year address, yesterday President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella reminded all Italians tuned in of a bleak reality: global spending on armaments is dramatically and increasingly higher than spending to combat climate change.

Mattarella's warning on armaments and the climate

"The growth in arms spending, triggered worldwide by Russia's aggression against Ukraine – which also forces us to provide for our own defence – reached a record figure this year of 2.443 trillion dollars," Mattarella recalled, that is, "eight times more than what was allocated at the recent Cop 29, in Baku, to combat climate change – a vital necessity for humanity. A disheartening disproportion."

Indeed, President Mattarella's calculations are correct: in Baku, just over a month ago, the world's most developed economies reached a commitment to allocate just 300 billion dollars a year for climate finance – barely one eighth of the amount spent on armaments – against an initial request of 1.3 trillion.

But perhaps an even more telling figure is that before Cop29 in Baku, a group of climate experts had attempted to quantify the needs of nations in the Global South to invest in reducing CO2 emissions, adapting to the impacts of global warming, and addressing losses and damages incurred. The figure they arrived at was 2.4 trillion dollars per year – precisely the same amount currently spent on weapons.

Also in 2024, the International Energy Agency had estimated that the 1.5-degree target was "within reach" if 4.5 trillion dollars per year were invested between now and 2030 – just under twice the current spending on armaments. Which had already led us, back then, to ask ourselves: what if the money spent on weapons were used for the climate instead?