E3G

Global warming and geopolitics: risk of conflict increases

By Quentin de Molliens

UK newspaper the Independent carries an article looking at the scale of the challenges that global warming and geopolitics pose to all countries.

The article highlights the conclusions of the recent IPCC reports in respect to the climate change impacts on global political stability. It also underlines that these impacts have already started to be seen and that the magnitude and complexity of global warming effects on geopolitics has increased more than it was expected.

Moreover, the article explains that today’s tensions and conflicts related to weather disasters,  water shortages, famines, diseases or environmental refugees, will seriously increase and create new patterns of risks and political instabilities.

The article also includes a quote from E3G Founding Director John Ashton in his role as special representative for climate change of the UK Foreign and the Commonwealth office:

Global warming should be addressed not as a long-term threat to our environment, but as an immediate threat to our security and prosperity”.