Amid Rise in Extreme Weather, Water Shortages, Delaying Ambitious Climate Accord Could Prove ‘Deadly’, Secretary-General Warns at Paris Defence Conference

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the International Conference on the Implications of Climate Change for Defence, in Paris today:

I thank the Government of France for organizing this timely meeting on a topic of crucial importance for this and future generations.  The impacts of climate change continue to grow at a dangerous pace.  Extreme weather events are more frequent and intense in rich and poor countries alike.  They threaten to provoke widespread food insecurity and humanitarian crises, including massive population movements.

From Syria to the Sahel and beyond, millions of people face increasing water shortages, undermining the foundations of local, national and regional stability.  Imagine the challenge that awaits us in the future, when millions of people living in places progressively ravaged by climate change seek safety and a better life.

It is clear that climate change is a threat multiplier.  It not only threatens to exacerbate conflicts within and between States, it is itself a threat to international peace and security.

I am pleased to see that many defence ministries and military experts around the world, including those of you here, understand the serious challenge presented by climate change and are considering its security implications.  Many of you are also focusing on what can be done by looking at solutions for “green defence” including infrastructure changes and energy and technology initiatives.

Beyond these vital contributions, the upcoming Paris Climate Change Conference presents us with the most significant policy solution available on a global scale.  We need an ambitious agreement in which all countries agree to curb their emissions and take action to strengthen their resilience to inevitable climate impacts.

I urge you to impress upon your leaders the security benefits that all countries will reap from a successful Paris agreement.  This week, for example, the NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] Parliamentary Assembly issued a public call for its member Governments to support an ambitious, binding global climate agreement in Paris.

An agreement in Paris must be a turning point in mobilizing climate action at the scale we need by Governments and all sectors of society — including the world’s defence establishments.  The benefits of acting now are multiple:  for reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development, mitigating risks and strengthening prospects for peace and stability.

On the other hand, if we fail to deliver on climate change, we will not only face insurmountable challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we risk rolling back decades of development efforts, with potentially grave security implications.

The costs of delay could be deadly.  The choice is clear.  We have the knowledge and tools to stave off the worst impacts of climate change.  We must harness the political will to meet this grave global challenge.  I count on your leadership and wish you a productive discussion.