Report: EU must urgently address security threats stemming from climate change

AP: Climate change is happening now and the European Union must lose no time in addressing the impact it will have on Western Europe, its neighbors and allies, says a report prepared for next week's meeting of the 27 EU leaders. The report – a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press – calls climate change a “threat multiplier” that will worsen tensions and instability between nations as they face loss of arable land, water shortages, diminishing food and fish stocks, more frequent flooding, prolonged droughts and scarcer energy resources.

The report to the EU leaders says climate change will trigger not only humanitarian crises but also political and economic instability, border disputes, ethnic tensions and “environmentally induced” migration of millions of people from Africa and the Middle East to Europe. It urges the EU to put climate change high on the international agenda. The EU leaders hold their spring summit in Brussels on March 13 and 14.

…The report was drafted by Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief. EU officials said the study was prompted by Russia's interruption of gas deliveries to Western Europe in January, 2006, in a dispute with Ukraine. “It has been estimated a business-as-usual scenario in dealing with climate change could cost the world economy up to 20 percent,” of its annual economic output, whereas “effective concerted action” would limit that to only 1 percent, the report argues.

The report says polluters and “emerging economies must be induced to commit to an ambitious (UN) climate agreement” – a dig at the United States and rising giants such as China, India and Brazil.

The EU must also boost global warming research, step up civil protection, study the impact of global warming on different regions of the world and increase international cooperation on climate change. The report said the EU was well suited to engage others in combatting climate change because of its multilateral approach to global politics and experience in conflict prevention and management.

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