The Presidents of the European Council and European Commission (EC) have gathered with leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US for a G7 Summit, during which they discussed issues related to Ukraine and global foreign policy issues, as well as energy, climate, economy and development, among others. The resulting Brussels G7 Summit Declaration addresses each of these issues and affirms the G7's commitment to “the values of freedom and democracy, and their universality and to fostering peace and security.”
On energy security, the Declaration states that the use of "energy supplies as a means of political coercion or as a threat to security is unacceptable.” It endorses the principles of the Rome G7 Energy Initiative, agreed to in May 2014, as a guide to domestic policies for building a “more competitive, diversified, resilient and low-carbon energy system.” These principles include the diversification of energy fuels, sources and routes; development of flexible, transparent and competitive energy markets; and enhancement of energy efficiency.
The Declaration suggests a number of immediate actions on energy, inter alia: support for the EC to develop emergency regional energy plans for winter 2014-2015; collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and other international institutions to help Ukraine and other European countries develop domestic hydrocarbon and renewable energy sources; and cooperation with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to develop options for gas security.
On climate change, the Declaration recognizes the need for “urgent and concrete action” on climate change as called for in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) and underscores the determination of G7 countries to reach a global agreement on climate change in 2015 “that is ambitious, inclusive and reflects changing global circumstances.” It affirms support for the Copenhagen Accord commitments to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 and for various other measures, including eliminating inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
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Until recently, impressive economic growth, stable leadership and its attractiveness as a foreign investment hub put Ethiopia in a positive spotlight. However, the country still ranks low in human development and is highly dependent on rainfed agriculture, making it particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Combined with existing tensions and inequalities, climate vulnerability can exacerbate security risks. To mitigate these linkages, Ethiopia’s leadership should support implementation of conflict-sensitive climate change adaptation policies and include climate security in its conflict mitigation strategy.
On 19 November in Dhaka, adelphi partnered with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) to hold a roundtable and discussion on climate change and fragility risks in South Asia.
One of the world’s lowest-lying countries invited international experts to discuss the security challenges related to climate change.
Nepal and Afghanistan face a number of serious climate-fragility risks, so adelphi brought together regional government officials and NGO experts for a training in Kathmandu on 9 November 2019.