Climate change, defence and crisis management: from reflection to action

On 11 December 2020, the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) co-organised a public online conference focusing on the impact of climate change on EU security and defence. The event began with a video message from the High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell, and two panel sessions looked at the operational and technological aspects of how climate change and defence interact. In particular, the event also highlighted the importance of partnerships between the EU and international partners, as well as between the public and private sectors.

The conference brought together high-level speakers from the EU institutions (EEAS, European Defence Agency and the European Commission), NATO, the United Nations, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence, the Canadian Ministry of Defence, industry and academia. Over 80 people joined the conference online to learn more about the ‘Climate Change and Defence Roadmap’ produced by the EU in November 2020.

More on the Roadmap here.