On 26 February 2018, the EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted conclusions on climate diplomacy. It marks the formal signaling of EU’s Foreign Ministers to make the nexus between climate and security a priority.
The conclusions recognise that climate change has direct and indirect implications for international security and stability. Climate projects in developing countries need to become more conflict sensitive while security approaches more climate sensitive. The document calls for further mainstreaming the nexus between climate change and security in policy dialogue, conflict prevention, development and humanitarian action and disaster risk strategies.
The EU promotes here the ongoing work in the framework of the G7 and in the UN system and encourage the UNSC to increase its focus on the climate and security nexus. The Council calls for effective responses to climate security risks across policy areas; and underlines the importance of translating climate and security analysis into possible action, referring to the 2017 Hague Declaration as part of the Planetary Security Conference series, as an example.
At the initiative of EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, a high-level event on climate and security will be held on 22 June 2018 in Brussels, underlining the EU’s commitment to address the destabilising effects and risks of climate change. In addition, Members of the European Parliament (Arne Lietz and Jo Leinen) plan an own initiative report on the topic, which is also due for June 2018.
For more information surrounding the EU Council conclusions, please read Niklas Bremberg and Dr Malin Mobjörk's commentary: European Union steps up its efforts to become the global leader on addressing climate-related security risks
Photo: MPD01605 / Flickr