.

Back to Overview
Climate Change
Climate Diplomacy
Security
Global Issues
16 November, 2016

Global Climate and Security Consensus Statement

Planetary Security Initiative

Now that the at times turbulent US election has past, attention must return to cooperating on the global challenges that affect us all, like climate change which 23 high profile military leaders and experts from around the world have today labelled as a threat to peace and stability. In a joint Global Climate and Security Consensus Statement issued by the Climate Security Working Group, the signatories have called for world leaders to address climate risk in their national, regional and international security planning.

Signatories range from Rear Admiral David Titley, Ph.D., U.S. Navy (ret) Former Oceanographer of the Navy Professor of Practice, Pennsylvania State University to Lieutenant General Tariq Waseem Ghazi (ret) Pakistan and former Dutch diplomat, Alexander Verbeek, who founded the Institute for Planetary Security. The Institute is involved in an annual conference in The Hague on December 5 and 6 which will explore how to build peace and cooperation in times of climate change and global environmental challenges.

The Climate Security Working Group - International is a non-partisan collective of experts who work together to ensure governments are responding to the risk posed to peace and security by climate change.

The statement comes after the Obama Administration launched a presidential memo in September which requires the National Security Council complete an "Action Plan" to address climate security by around December 21 and follow up with an implementation plan by the end of February. This move is considered to be one of the most comprehensive responses to climate and security issues of a national government so far, and comes off the back of the G7's work in the area. At the Paris Climate Summit last year, a "Climate Displacement Task Force" was established to draw up recommendations on measures "to avert, minimise and address displacement related to the adverse effects of climate change." But of course there is much more to do with very few countries having actually incorporate climate change risk into their defense strategies.

Read the statement. 

 

This article originally appeared on the Planetary Security Initiative's website.

The Planetary Security Conference, co-organised by adelphi and other leading think tanks, is meant to address the climate-security nexus and will take place from 5-6 December in The Hague.  

Source:
Planetary Security Initiative
Related Reading 
Planetary Security Conference 2016

How can climate-induced risks become an integral part of foreign and security policy? The Planetary Security Conference, organised by adelphi and other leading think tanks, is meant to deliver answers to this question and will take place from 5-6 December in The Hague.  

Read more
Planetary Security Conference 2015 in Videos

Acknowledging that climate change is a global threat to security in the 21st century, the Dutch government has convened an international conference on Planetary Security on 2-3 November 2015 in the Hague. The aim of the conference was to facilitate strategic exchange on existing foreign policy and security architecture.

Read more
Climate Change
Land & Food
Global Issues
30 September, 2019

Explainer: ‘Desertification’ and the role of climate change

Robert McSweeney, Carbon Brief

The severity of desertification and its mutual relationship with climate change cannot be overstated. In light of the recent launch of the Special Report on Climate Change and Land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Robert McSweeney from Carbon Brief explains what desertification is, what role climate change plays, and what impact it has across the world.

Climate Change
Climate Diplomacy
Security
Global Issues
27 September, 2019

Speech by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at the General Debate of the 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

German Federal Foreign Office

“It is time to do more than just talk about sustainability. It is time to act sustainably,” said Heiko Maas during his speech at the General Debate of the 74th United Nations General Assembly.  Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs highlighted the need for multilateral cooperation to achieve worldwide sustainability, as well as Germany's focus on climate-security, women, and disarmament and arms control as part of its agenda in the UN Security Council.

Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
26 September, 2019

#MultilateralismMatters for Sustainable Foreign Policy

adelphi

Strengthening multilateralism is a prominent task of foreign policy and central to achieving sustainable development and securing a peaceful future. Here you can watch, hear and read innovative ideas on how diplomats can drive sustainable change by gearing-up international cooperation to shape a truly sustainable foreign policy.

Climate Change
Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
23 September, 2019

The scene is set for the UN Climate Action Summit

Raquel Munayer, adelphi

Ahead of the most important climate action event of the year, the international expert community releases key reports with the latest scientific information on climate impacts, national targets and climate action progress over the last 25 years. Now climate diplomats have only one thing to focus on: stepping-up implementation.