Nobody needs to be convinced that climate change affects our very existence and security. However, experts are interested to know how climate change affects security at a global level and what the EU can do in that regard. This was the main aim of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) Climate Change and Security Course co-organised by the French Institute for Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) and adelphi, as part of the Climate Diplomacy initiative supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, which took place in Brussels from 21 to 23 October 2019.
The course continued the main narrative of last year’s high-level event “Climate, peace and security: the time for action” convened by the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, namely that climate security has emerged as an important foreign policy issue. It also highlighted the fact that the European Union needs to connect climate change policies with crisis prevention and peacebuilding initiatives as well as integrate these efforts within existing regional and sectoral policies in order to help safeguard international security and stability.
To this end, the course gave participants the opportunity to consider and work on a number of specific themes, and to assess global climate change scenarios and the risks that these present for peace and international security. Particular attention was given to key international and European actors, policies and critical debates in the climate change and security context. It was also recognised that climate change will indirectly affect the role of our armed forces, which will be given new missions.
One of the most interactive sessions was the simulation of a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in which the UNSC debated a resolution on the impact of climate change on international peace and security. The simulation explored the potential security risks of climate change as well as the diverging positions and interests of member states regarding UNSC action. The exercise gave participants first-hand experience of the dynamics and sensitivities related to the issue of climate change and security within the UNSC.
The very last session of the course was both challenging and practical. The course moderator asked them to assess how climate security considerations might be better integrated into their professional life. The question prompted participants to think in a very pragmatic way and made them aware that climate-sensitive behaviour matters at individual level, on a daily basis, and needs to be part of everyone’s working routine. The group was very well balanced: twenty-seven women and thirty men, with various professional backgrounds from EU member states and institutions attended the course.
[This article originally appeared on esdc.europa.eu]
South Asia’s vulnerability to climate change and associated fragility risks calls for a regional approach to climate services. Different actors need to cooperate to share actionable climate information—the security architecture in the region would benefit.
With cities continuously more threatened by climate change-induced disasters, urban planning’s reflex response is to protect cities against nature. But what if the solution lies in working with nature instead against it? Architect Kongjiang Yu invites readers to imagine what cities could look like if they took into account ancient wisdom on spatial planning.
During the past two weeks, Antigua & Barbuda, Nicaragua and Panama ratified the Escazú Agreement, giving a major boost to the unprecedented and innovative Latin American pact that seeks to reduce social conflicts and protect frontline communities in the world’s deadliest region for environmental defenders.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlined priorities for the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 26) during a briefing at UN Headquarters. The briefing was hosted by the UK, which will be assuming the COP 26 presidency in partnership with Italy. COP 26 is scheduled to convene from 9-20 November 2020, in Glasgow, UK.