Nobel Laureate and climate scientist Mohan Munasinghe warned that the planet is closer to a nuclear World War III than at any time in living memory, telling CNBC-TV18 that a mix of rising geopolitical tensions, surging military budgets and weak global leadership is creating severe risks for the world economy, energy supplies and food security.
Munasinghe said the current geopolitical flashpoints — notably tensions in the Middle East and instability around the Gulf of Hormuz — could trigger major disruptions in energy and commodity markets. Those disruptions, he cautioned, would ripple through supply chains and could lead to shortages not only of oil and gas but also of fertilizers, grains and industrial inputs vital for manufacturing.
He emphasized the scale of the danger posed by existing nuclear arsenals, noting that the destructive capacity far exceeds what is needed to threaten humanity. That threat, paired with escalating defence spending, makes the international system more fragile, he said.
Munasinghe criticized the global spending priorities that favor armaments over human welfare. He pointed out that global defence budgets total roughly $2 trillion — an amount he described as many times larger than public funding devoted to poverty alleviation — and asked why so much is allocated to destruction rather than to protecting and improving lives.
The expert also highlighted the growing strain on agriculture caused by conflict-related supply disruptions and the lingering effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. He warned that crop cycles and food availability are increasingly vulnerable, while nearly 800 million people worldwide still face hunger even as large quantities of food are wasted in wealthier countries.
Against this background, Munasinghe said near-term technical fixes exist but may not be implemented because of poor political leadership and competing interests such as arms lobbies, which he sees as incentivizing prolonged geopolitical competition rather than cooperation on climate and development goals.
His remarks come as climate accountability rises on the global legal and political agenda. The United Nations recently adopted a resolution reinforcing states’ obligations to address climate change, reflecting an earlier advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice that countries must prevent harm to the climate system and may face legal consequences for failing to act.
Eight countries voted against the UN resolution: the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Iran, Yemen, Liberia and Belarus. India, Turkey, Qatar and Nigeria abstained. Countries including Australia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom voted in favor.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged governments to protect citizens from the growing climate emergency. Munasinghe echoed the urgency of coordinated action, arguing that climate, security and development challenges are interconnected and require collective political will.
He also cautioned that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence can boost productivity and create new opportunities, but they are a double-edged sword. Without sustained investment in education and reskilling, millions risk being left behind by technological change, he said.
Munasinghe concluded that averting the worst outcomes will require stronger global leadership, a reallocation of resources toward humanitarian and climate resilience measures, and international cooperation to secure energy, food and economic stability.