Representatives from the European Commission Services, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) met on Monday with their counterparts from the US Administration, including the Department of State, the Department of Defence, the National Security Council and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Director level to discuss the growing challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation to peace, security and defence, EEAS reports.
Given the unprecedented threat that climate change and environmental degradation pose to global peace and security, this informal dialogue provided a platform to discuss the growing global risks and impacts of the climate and natural crises from a “whole of government” perspective. The EU’s integrated approach seeks to address this daunting challenge through coordinated EU engagement in development co-operation, humanitarian aid, climate and environmental action, migration, energy security, civil-military missions and the evolution of military infrastructures.
Participants agreed on the need to fully integrate the climate-security nexus into their respective external actions, especially in the most climate-vulnerable states and regions. Effective action means integrating climate and environmental analyses into planning and decision-making to ensure a science-based approach and build strong international partnerships.
EU-US dialogues
Participants also agreed that the discussion provided a key opportunity for a valuable exchange of experiences between different areas of expertise in this broad policy area. They agreed to explore the possibility of organising regular EU-US dialogues on these issues at a technical level to stimulate policy cross-fertilisation and complement existing fora for dialogue.
The discussion reflects the EU’s objective to strengthen international partnerships, which is one of the main thrusts of the EU Joint Communication of 28 June 2023: “A new perspective on the climate-security nexus”. Strengthening international co-operation between the EU and partners such as the US is crucial for effective action to address the impacts of climate change on global peace and security.
First green law
EU countries have approved a flagship policy to restore devastated nature after months of delay, becoming the first green law passed since this month’s European Parliament elections.
The Nature Restoration Act is among the EU’s biggest environmental programmes, requiring member states to take action to restore nature on a fifth of land and sea by 2030.
EU environment ministers backed the act at a meeting in Luxembourg and it can now become law.
The vote came after Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler of the Green Party defied her conservative coalition partners by pledging to support the policy, giving it enough support to pass. Ms. Gewessler told reporters:
I know I will face opposition in Austria on this, but I am convinced that this is the time to adopt this law.
The policy aims to reverse the decline of natural habitats in Europe – 81 per cent of which are classed as being in poor condition – and includes specific targets such as restoring peat lands so they can absorb CO2 emissions.
Ireland has a “central role”
Environment Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the approval of the policy, saying he was “proud of the central role Ireland played in passing this legislation”. He said:
We did so by arguing in recent weeks for it to come back for decision at this council today, when everyone else thought it was dead. Restoring nature is in the interest of everyone. We will have no food security if our natural systems are destroyed. I believe the public overwhelmingly want to conserve rather than destroy the natural world which enriches us all.
The Austrian minister’s behaviour has angered Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative People’s Party, which opposes the law. OVP EU Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler said Ms. Gewessler’s “yes” vote would have been unconstitutional.
Belgium, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency and chairs the ministerial meetings, said the Austrian government’s dispute would not affect the legality of the EU ministers’ vote.
EU countries and the European Parliament agreed the law last year, but it has come under attack from some governments in recent months amid protests by farmers angered by costly EU regulations.
Finland, Hungary, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden voted against the law this morning. Belgium abstained.
EU countries had planned to approve the policy in March but cancelled the vote after Hungary abruptly withdrew its support, wiping out the majority in favour.
Countries including the Netherlands have expressed concern that the policy will slow the expansion of wind farms and other economic activity, and Poland this morning said the policy lacks a plan to fund conservation.
