Scientific evidence is mounting that ‘human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe’. The 2022 floods in Pakistan and heatwaves in Southern Europe illustrate that climate change impacts human security and can have adverse social, economic and political effects in both developing and developed countries. Climate- and environment-related security risks tend to be exacerbated by shared geographic features and transnational movements of people, goods and capital. Hence, international organizations, at global and regional levels across various policy areas, are increasingly seeking to strengthen the resilience of states and societies to such risks through prevention and preparedness, early warning, crisis management and disaster relief.
The European Union (EU) was among the first major international actors to acknowledge the nexus between climate change and security within its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The EU’s most recent policy frameworks for responses to conflict and security risks related to climate change and environmental degradation include the 2020 Climate Change and Defence Roadmap (Defence Roadmap), the 2021 Concept for an Integrated Approach to Climate Change and Security (Integrated Approach) and the 2022 Strategic Compass for Security and Defence (Strategic Compass).
Complementing SIPRI’s research on EU member states’ efforts to mainstream climate security, this SIPRI Policy Brief analyses current initiatives and ways forward to address the nexus between climate change, peace and security developed within the EU’s foreign, security and defence policies. It builds on the recent European External Action Service (EEAS) Joint Progress Report on Climate Change, Security and Defence, 10 interviews with EU civil servants and national foreign affairs officials, and a workshop on mainstreaming climate and the environment in the EU’s civilian crisis management that was held at the 2022 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development.
The policy brief argues that despite important progress since 2020, a lack of alignment between the climate and conflict-sensitizing work of the EEAS and the climate adaptation and mitigation work of the European Commission remains. This is particularly noticeable within the European Green Deal—the EU’s framework to become climate neutral and more resource efficient—in spite of its acknowledgment of global climate and environmental challenges as a source of instability. Closer collaboration between the EEAS and relevant European Commission directorates-general to align resources and tools would allow for a qualitative leap forward by fostering actions that are preventative rather than reactive to climate-related security risks in the short to medium term.
EU member states have an important role in this regard. EU foreign, security and defence policy frameworks are still largely intergovernmental. Better alignment of European Commission and EEAS resources, as well as the pooling of national resources, is important to achieve positive outcomes in relation to CSDP missions and operations. In addition, other aspects of the Defence Roadmap, the Integrated Approach and the Strategic Compass should be aligned or pooled to make sure that the EU can assist not only fair but also peaceful transitions to more sustainable societies at home and abroad. The nexus between climate, security and peace is increasingly relevant in discussions on EU ‘strategic autonomy’. Securing access to rare earth minerals and other critical raw materials is as important for Europe’s transition to a carbon neutral economy as it is for the task of ‘greening’ its armed forces.
This policy brief is divided into five sections. Section II explains the current action gap related to climate change, peace and security in the EU. Section III analyses progress in responding to conflict and security risks related to climate change and environmental degradation within the EU’s foreign, security and defence policies. Section IV looks at opportunities for the 2023 Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU. Section V concludes with recommendations for how to address the current challenges and translate policy objectives into actions.
This policy brief was originally published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and was authored by Niklas Bremberg and Dr Simone Bunse. The full version can be viewed using the link here.
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