UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey, announced at a Green Growth Summit at the European Parliament in Brussels that the UK would be integrating climate risks into its military planning, stating that:
The expected impacts of climate change will be integrated into the UK’s next strategic defence and security review, expected next summer, just before the Paris conference.
Davey’s speech was part of an effort to encourage the successful passage of the EU 2030 Climate and Energy Package, which is up for approval next week. Davey drew on the fact that as a trading block, the EU is also vulnerable to climate impacts globally:
The EU is a trading bloc – open within, but outward looking to.
Our prosperity is inextricably linked to world markets.
More extreme climate change impacts in other parts of the world – from food and water shortages – to the mass migration of people fleeing the worst effects – these are our problem too.
It was also reported that Dr. Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at NATO, spoke about the alliance’s considerations of climate risks noting that, “climate change is a contributory factor” to a wide variety of future security threats.
For more on existing UK, EU and NATO climate and security documents, see our Climate and Security Resource Hub.
Thank you! Very interesting, informative and useful information that is the subject of chronology. Clear enough and the current trend in the awareness of emerging threats. Little pessimistic remark: Dr. Jamie Shea … spoke about the alliance’s considerations of climate risks noting that, “climate change is a contributory factor” to a wide variety of future security threats. IMHO, he is – a very big optimist. Risks from climate change – not only future security challenges, as there were quite a long time.