Environmental challenges have become an important issue of global governance since at least the first Earth summit organized by the United Nations in 1972. During the last few years, we are observing an acceleration of both global warming effects and initiatives to limit the climate crisis, which is increasingly posing risks to international peace and security. The fight against climate change is a longstanding one, but three critical events took place this year that show a will to engage this challenge on a global stage.
In November 2020, the European External Action Service, together with the EU Commission and the European Defence Agency, presented a “Climate change and Defence roadmap”, approved by the EU Commission in January 2021. It confirms the determination of the EU to be a role model and an involved partner to face this crucial issue.
To help safeguard international security and stability, the European Union needs to connect climate change policies with crisis prevention and peacebuilding approaches and integrate these efforts into existing regional and sectoral policies. Climate change will also affect our armed forces, implying new stakes and missions.
To this end, the current course on “Climate change and security” increases participants’ understanding of global climate change scenarios, impacts and vulnerability; key international and EU actors, policies and critical debates in the climate change and security context; the concepts of compound climate-fragility hotspot mapping: Green defence and industrial solutions and EU approaches to climate and security as an integrated security issue; Integrating climate-fragility risks with a case study; and how can climate-fragility risks be better integrated into professional routines.
