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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At a briefing ahead of the COP25, foreign minister Heiko Maas called for higher ambition for the European Union, which should act as a role-model to encourage other states to boost their commitments to climate action. He further reiterated the importance of supporting multilateralism and an international climate regime that is able to withstand setbacks, such as the US withdrawal of the Paris Agreement.
Climate change is increasingly challenging global security and undermining peacebuilding efforts. UN Environment and the European Union have joined forces to address these challenges. With the support of adelphi, they have developed a toolkit on ‘Addressing climate-fragility risks’. This toolkit facilitates the development and implementation of strategies, policies, and projects that seek to build resilience by linking climate change adaptation, peacebuilding, and sustainable livelihoods, focusing on the pilot countries Sudan and Nepal.
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 new study Shoring up Stability demonstrates, for the first time, how climate change interacts with conflict and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region. To launch the report and discuss its findings with local policy-makers, experts and practitioners, the German Embassy in Niger, adelphi and CNESS co-organised a launch event on 24 October in Niamey. Insights from Niger point to the importance of investing in governance rather than technical fixes.