UNEP and German Advisory Council on Global Change stress the importance of climate policy for international security

UNEP and WBGU jointly underline the importance of climate policy for international security. The report Climate Change as a Security Risk urges governments meeting at the UN climate convention conference in Bali to adopt deep and decisive emission reductions alongside support for adaptation or ‘climate proofing’.

Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, member of the WBGU said: ”Without resolute counteraction, climate change will overstretch many societies’ adaptive capacities within coming decades. This could result in destabilization and violence jeopardizing national and international security to a new degree”.

Achim Steiner said: “If we can counter climate change and climate proof economies by buffering them against the climatic changes already underway, perhaps the world can unite around other pressing challenges from reversing the decline of biodiversity and loss of marine resources up to designing a more intelligent, fairer and ultimately sustainable global trade regime”.

The newly released English translation of the report, which is published by Earthscan, London comes in the wake of world wide rising concern over climate change and conflict.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and John Schellnhuber, member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) are presenting today on the occation of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the IPPC and Al Gore the English version of the WBGU report Climate Change as a Security Risk.