Debate: The impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations in developing countries
Date: MONDAY, 17 MAY 2021
Speaker: Janez Lenarčič
Language: EN

Fighting climate change is a top priority for this Commission, and our capacity to respond to it will transform lives in the years to come. We are working across all policies, with Member States and like-minded actors, in developing a comprehensive approach that goes beyond managing disaster and displacements. Indeed, while addressing the immediate needs of displaced people, in parallel we need to support efforts to boost resilience, prevention and preparedness. The preparation of the EU chairmanship of the Platform on Disaster Displacement in 2022 is an important opportunity to work in this direction. First, let me re-assert that leaving no one behind and addressing inequalities must be at the core of our external action, and I welcome that this is one of the guiding ideas of the report. Climate change is indeed a threat multiplier for inequalities. The NDICI (Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument) ‘Global Europe’ regulation will be our instrument to forge international partnerships, to tackle inequalities and work on global challenges. It is innovative in many ways and contains two new spending targets: a 30% contribution to climate action objectives and an indicative 10% for supporting management and governance of migration and forced displacement, as well as addressing root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement. Both targets mean spending significantly more than before. With NDICI, we have a tool that allows us to have a lasting impact, and we must now focus on programming our future cooperation in line with our policy priorities. The Commission looks forward to the upcoming high-level, geo-political dialogue with the European Parliament to discuss this. Second, the current discussion addressing the intertwined factors leading to population displacements is not new at global level and is a very difficult one. Given the scope of the Geneva Convention and other protection schemes in place, for instance the Nansen Protection Agenda, multilateral actors are focusing their work within the existing legal framework. At EU level, the political sensitivity of ongoing discussions, notably in the context of the new pact on migration and asylum, also needs to be taken into consideration. The existing international and EU legal framework may provide solutions on a case-by-case basis, in particular with regard to the principle of  Finally, as this report highlights, climate change affects people differently, depending on a number of factors, including gender. As primary users and managers of natural resources, women play an essential role for climate change mitigation and adaptation and also on environmental protection. The EU is determined to protect women from environmental degradation and climate change, particularly in the context of fragile situations. All of our external action is undergoing a gender-mainstreaming exercise, and at least 85% of new actions implemented under NDICI will have a significant impact on gender equality, in line with our Gender Action Plan III presented last year. I would like to thank once again the rapporteur and the DEVA Committee for their important work, and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.