27.12.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 493/21 Tuesday 7 June 2022
D. whereas the links between climate change and conflict can be complex, and the concrete effects of climate change on conflict are mostly context-specific; whereas a need exists to support more systematic and extensive exchanges and cross-fertilisation between the scientific communities working on the climate-security nexus;
E. whereas climate change remains at the heart of the peace and security agenda as the ultimate ‘threat multiplier’, worsening existing social, economic and environmental risks that can fuel unrest and potentially result in violent conflict; whereas environmental and climate changes and their consequences, combined with other factors, aggravate pre-existing vulnerabilities, tensions and risks, rather than always being a trigger in themselves or a direct cause of armed inter-state or international conflicts; whereas climate change can affect people’s security differently depending on their gender, socio-economic status, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), (dis)ability, etc.; whereas marginalised groups in particular tend to be disproportionately negatively affected by climate change; whereas climate change-related security risks particularly affect economically disadvantaged populations and have socio-economic effects; whereas climate change has negative effects on the cultural and natural heritage of the areas affected;
F. whereas the climate crisis affects both human and state security; whereas climate change intersects in various ways with political, ethnic and socio-economic dynamics, and is a direct driver of conflict in that it increases disaster risks and places additional pressure on ecosystems, thereby threatening people’s livelihoods, water and food security, and critical infrastructure, by, inter alia, instigating land-use change and environmental degradation;
G. whereas rising sea levels have already caused flooding and salinisation, posing a major security and existential risk to low-lying coastal areas and islands; whereas according to the World Bank’s updated 2021 Groundswell report, climate change could force 216 million people to move within their countries by 2050; whereas the report also states that immediate and concrete action can significantly reduce the scale of climate migration; whereas water scarcity has a multifaceted impact on human security and socio-political stability; whereas, due to climate change, water supplies will be affected, especially in developing countries, while the global demand for water will rise; whereas climate change is increasing the risk of droughts and floods; whereas the impact of climate change on food prices is undermining livelihoods and prompting displacement, disease and famine, resulting in migration on an unprecedented scale;
H. whereas in the Sahel, the impacts of changing climatic conditions on the availability of natural resources, coupled with factors such as population growth, weak governance and land tenure challenges, have led to increased competition over scarce natural resources — most notably fertile land and water — and have resulted in tensions and conflicts between communities and livelihood groups;
I. whereas climate change is one of the factors that shape the strategic environment, as it amplifies risks and imposes constraints; whereas the climate crisis has generated effects on the international system, where it has the potential to exacerbate geopolitical tensions, and to shift the balance between major powers; whereas climate change issues are being exploited by malign actors in order to increase their leverage or to encourage hostilities; whereas the melting of the polar ice caps is increasing geopolitical tensions, particularly around the North Pole;
J. whereas the US armed forces have lost more military hardware and infrastructure due to natural disasters than due to the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq combined; whereas the Biden Administration has made positive efforts to combat climate change, including by re-joining the Paris Agreement and incorporating climate change into its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance;
K. whereas armed forces are among the biggest fossil fuel consumers worldwide;