Global warning

Climate change is a hot topic and it is placed high on the EU agenda at the moment. Recently, the European parliament’s temporary committee on climate change (CLIM) organized the sixth thematic strategy on how to engage other main actors - climate change, adaptation in third countries and global security. It is an important part in the ongoing dialogue between MEPs and key actors within Europe and beyond.

The engagement of all actors around the world and adaptation in and beyond the EU was always a part of the climate change debate. But until now, the link between climate change and security policy has not been sufficiently emphasised. The situation has changed at last. This dimension of climate change has finally been addressed in the above-mentioned thematic strategy and a report on the topic was presented to the EU’s March summit by its author, Javier Solana, EU high representative for common foreign and security policy, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, external relations commissioner. The link cannot be overrated; as the report says, “climate change should be central to Europe’s preventive security policy”.

Among those who will suffer the biggest blow by climate change are the poor countries of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Environmental migration will be the first consequence Europe may experience. And at a global level even worse trends could easily be foreseen. Almost two billion people living within 35 miles of the coastal area in South Asia are likely to be threatened by the rising sea level. Another billion will be affected by the drop of melting waters from the Himalayas. Three-quarters of arable rain-fed land in north Africa could be lost. Some islands may disappear. Water supply will become scarce, especially in the Middle East. All of these changes will trigger huge migration flows, lead to increased radicalisation of politics and population and raise tensions and conflicts over limited natural resources.

Either we tackle this problem or our planet will become unbearable to live in, returning to an even worse pre-EU situation. For hundreds of years, until the mid-20th century, nations and states fought with each other for new territories and resources and for the rich pieces of land. In the second half of the 21st century, the next generation could experience conflicts and wars for drinking water, shrinking swaths and strips of land that are not susceptible to either flooding or burning out by the scorching sun.

None of the world’s countries is able to reverse climate change alone. If we want to prevent some of the worst catastrophic scenarios, we have to make every effort together and world-wide. It will be neither cheap nor easy but the price of inaction will be much higher. At last this view is shared not only by the EU and the other main fighters against climate change. Recent changes in the positions of the US, China and other developing countries and the outcome of the Bali conference in December 2007 give us hope that the world’s key actors will share the burden and responsibilities in fighting climate change.

The adaptation to the changing environment is, nonetheless, important for the EU and beyond.

The European parliament and CLIM are now discussing the ways in which adaptation strategies could be funded.

In April 2008 a resolution on adaptation within the EU will be adopted by the parliament, which will make recommendations on adaptation priorities in the EU. However, one issue still remains unresolved - how the EU can influence the adaptation activities in third countries. One of the conclusions of the Bali meeting was to set up the adaptation fund. This is a favourable development, the results of which we eagerly await. However, adaptation is not just about money, it is also about changing behaviour. Global warming will affect each and everyone of us. So we must all be involved in this matter. Of course changes are never easy; altering the ways in which we do things and how we go about our lives could easily be distorted by negative connotations. But we must make sure that everyone will benefit from these shifts. The EU is leading this process and acts as a catalyst to get others to work together for the common good. Our planet depends on the success of all of us. 

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