Addressing the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on peace, security and defence

Background

The EESC believes that the effects of climate change and environmental degradation are exacerbating the risks and threats to peace and European and international security. It is essential to understand the complex links within the climate and security nexus as climate change and environmental degradation are global challenges whose dynamics in combination with the agricultural, water and infrastructural vulnerabilities affect people in many countries. As a result, there is a great risk that they end up driving social, economic, institutional and political destabilisation.

In this opinion the EESC stresses the need for urgent resilient responses to those challenges and highlights the fundamental mission of the European project, namely to promote and preserve peace, inextricably linked to the preservation and promotion of fundamental rights and democracy.

Key points

In the opinion, the EESC's REX section:

• supports the European Commission's intention to take account of the climate and security nexus, but notes nonetheless that its geographical, political and military parameters must be better defined;

• stresses the urgent need to invest in setting up resilient responses, including by preparing European decision-making processes for these types of future stresses;

• recommends that the European institutions consider factoring the rapidly changing biophysical realities (on which people's lives and well-being depend) and political cohesion (both of Member States and of the EU's neighbours and partners) into EU policy-making;

• suggests further integrating the climate and security nexus by creating proactive interfaces between the institutions responsible for external relations, for internal EU cohesion, and for the Member States' security and defence services;

Additional information

- EESC section: External Relations (REX)

- opinion type: Optional Opinion

- rapporteur: Ozlem YILDIRIM (Workers'-GR II / France)

- reference: REX/578-EESC

- referral: JOIN(2023) 19 final

- date of adoption by section: 21/12/2023

- result of the vote: 79 votes in favour/0 against/1 abstention

- date of adoption in plenary: 17/01/2024

- result of the vote: 161 in favour/3 against/0 abstentions

Contact

Millie Tsoumani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 (0) 2 546 9088

Email: Amalia.tsoumani@eesc.europa.eu 

Ana Dujmovic

Policy Officer

Tel.: +32 (0) 2 546 8290

Email: Ana.Dujmovic@eesc.europa.eu