Climate Change and International Security: the EU Process and its

Roadmap

Alessandro VillaEuropean Commission

A Multiplier for Instability

Water Scarcity Demography Crop Decline Hunger Coastal Risks Recent Conflicts

Why Climate Change and Int. Security is becoming a

priority?

Crises are currently increasing with potential risks for the global stability and security, sustainable dev., undermining the results of development cooperation

Prevention and risks reduction avoid translating hazards into disasters and crisis and therefore into a humanitarian catastrophe

Crises divert important resources from development to crisis response while prevention costs a fraction of what emergency relief and recovery cost;

Climate Change and International Security in EU

external action. Why EU?

•EU biggest provider of external aiddevelopment cooperation → mainstreaming CC

= good foreign and development policies and practice

•Capacities of single countries insufficient when playing separately

•A stronger role for EU as foreign and security policy actor is expected and now crucially depends on EU capacity to respond to ‘crises’ in third countries and to help preventing them

EU integrated approach

combining: its growing commitment and capacity to

respond to « crises » in third countries Its responsibility as biggest provider of foreign

aid and development cooperation Its leadership in Climate Change

negotiations at global level

2007-13: A significant increase in funding for External Relations

Wider framework of on going activities on Climate

Change

2002-2006 commitments for climate-related interventions totalling around 1 500 M€.

Mitigation: limit extent of climate change Moving towards a low-carbon economy (energy

efficiency + renewables) + technology transfers Better management of land use (deforestation)

Adaptation: Initiatives and measures to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems Integrate into development cooperation: “climate-proofing” R&D and Disasters risks reduction (7-10 billion euro)

a multilateral agreement where everyone does its homework according to its capacities

The EU, Climate Change and Security: Origins

Awareness raising – three major reports in 2006/2007:

• The Stern Review on the economis of climate change, 2006.

• IPCC 4th Assessment Report, 2007.

• German Advisory Council Report: World in Transition, 2007.

In 2007, the EU started to recognise the security

implications of climate change.

Under UK Presidency, the UN Security Council for the first

time ever discussed climate change as international security threat in April

2007.

Under German EU Presidency,

several conferences were held and security threats of climate change entered EU

Council Conclusions June 2007.

© WBGU 2007

Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner

High-Representative Javier Solana

Joint Paper: Climate Change and International Security

High-Representative Solana and the

European Commission were tasked to produce a joint paper – published in March

2008, it includes:

I Summary of the main threats, climate change pose

to Europe and its partners abroad.

II Provided key recommendations to the EU and its Member States

III Was welcomed by the EU Council which tasked the Council Secretariat and the European Commission

to implement it.

Joint Paper: Climate Change and

International Security – Recommendations

Recommendations

Enhancing capacities at the EU level for the purpose of analysing and early warning

Multilateral leadership in promoting common understanding about security risks of climate change

Dialogue, information exchange and cooperation

with third countries.

European Security Strategy

Commission and Council agreed that Climate Change should have become

a building block of the efforts to update the EU security strategy and as a result the EU has updated its

Security Strategy. Climate change is now a key element of it;

The EU Roadmap Process – Structure

and Activities

Driven forward by

Commission, Secretariat

Steering

Group, consisting of EC, Council SEC, MSs

Supporting

external experts

Organising

consultations with int‘l agencies,

countries and civil society

Additional studies on

climate change and security,

information dissemination

Mechanism and discussion forum for

coordination, communication in

the EU

The EU Roadmap Process –

Achievements and Challenges

Challenges for 2010 and

beyond:

1) Institutionalising, formalising and resourcing the process

2) Agreeing on priority regions and sectors for EU and MS

3) Finding an adequate division of labour between EU and MS

4) Keep transforming results of studies, consultations into concrete actions

5) Keep developing capacities at EU and MS level.

Achievements 2008/2009:

1) Continuous reporting and feedback with relevant committees and to the EU Council established.

2) Consultations hold or planned with ASEAN, ENVSEC, EU Civil Society,UN, NATO, OSCE, etc

3) Seven regions on all continents assesed more in detail, a synopsis produced; a webportal in preparation; side-events at UNFCCC CoPs organised.

4) Started mainstreaming & impl. CC into dev. Coop

5) Started building capacities at EU and MS level

Mainstreaming climate change concern into EU external relations tools

Political dialogue at foreign ministers level (use of existing structure when possible)

Lobbying in the field (delegations and embassies)

Bilateral partnership with third countries

Development and cooperation assistance

Scenarios

Continental South-East Asia, particularly Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia;

Indian-Pacific Ocean Island States, particularly Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the small island states of the Indian and Pacific Ocean;

South-West Asia, particularly the Arab Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and (western) Pakistan;

Middle America, particular Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, (southern) USA and the Central American states.

Thanks for your attention