In its third conclusions on climate diplomacy, published on 20 July 2015, the Council of the European Union reinforces its commitment to addressing climate change as a key foreign policy and security matter.
As underlined by the latest IPCC findings, climate change is linked to multiple environmental, social, political and economic risks. Climate diplomacy initiatives and responses at a global and EU level are, thus, central in addressing climate change related threats, with the aim of pursuing a “safe, sustainable and climate resilient low-carbon development path”. Underscoring the security dimension of climate change, the Council welcomes the latest G7 report "A New Climate for Peace" and is committed to building up its climate diplomacy component as an inherent part of its foreign policy. Furthermore, the Council’s conclusions recall the need for a legally binding agreement at the COP21 in Paris and stress the importance of accelerating multilateral and joint EU climate diplomacy efforts. The High Representative and the Commission are invited to report back in early 2016 with regards to the outcome of the COP21 and its implications for climate diplomacy and future actions.
The scope of national security is expanding beyond violent threats to encompass a broader array of dangers. In an article for World Politics Review, CFR's Stewart M. Patrick assesses the implications of COVID-19 and climate change for the theory and practice of national security.
Although there is no causality nor direct and automatic link between climate change and conflict, we can see that climate change can intensify conflict drivers and make it harder to find stability. The online workshop "Climate change, conflict and fragility: Increasing resilience against climate-fragility risks", organised by the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and adelphi, looked into this complex relationship.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous parallels have been drawn between this health crisis and the climate crisis. Science plays an important role in advising decision makers on how to ensure sustainable crisis management and a precautionary approach to avoid harmful repercussions, particularly where we do not yet know all the consequences of our actions. [...]
Decarbonisation won’t come as fast as the pandemic. But if fossil fuel exporters are not prepared for it, they will face an enduring crisis. The EU can help.