http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign/ en info@e3g.org Copyright 2010 2010-03-22T13:46:10+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/civil-society-open-letter-eu-high-representative-and-external-action-servic/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/civil-society-open-letter-eu-high-representative-and-external-action-servic/#When:12:46:10Z The implementation of the Lisbon Treaty’s High Representative and the long awaited EU External Action Service has been causing great concern amongst several major civil society organisations. The current set of Brussels proposals seem to be designed to preclude any chance of a coherent and adequately resourced EU foreign policy that can tackle cross-cutting 21st-century problems. In order to support their work with “fight back” in public debate, ten such organisations have written a joint letter to EU27 Foreign Ministers, the whole Commission College, and the press. The text of the letter is below. CIVIL SOCIETY OPEN LETTER TO EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS AND EU27 FOREIGN MINISTERS: 22 MARCH 2010 Dear Council President, Dear Commission President and Commissioners, Dear Foreign Ministers, Our ten organisations share a long-standing conviction that Europe needs stronger and more coherent external action in order to deliver on its strategic objectives in the rest of the world. The EU External Action Service created by the Lisbon Treaty is a once in a lifetime opportunity to respond to this challenge, creating a strategy and a service fit for 21st-century security. As practitioners from the environmental, security, peace-building, development and… New Foreign Policy - Activities 2010-03-22T12:46:10+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/making-the-difference-strengthening-capacities-to-respond-to-crises-and-sec/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/making-the-difference-strengthening-capacities-to-respond-to-crises-and-sec/#When:13:26:42Z More than 10 years ago, the EU launched its Common Foreign Security Policy, following a meeting of leading policy makers and practitioners in security issues, especially conflict prevention and crises response. Since then, the European Commission continues to bring these experts together bi-annually to continue the discussions. Following the 2007 review of the European Security Strategy, there was consensus that the discussions require wider, coherent, timely and more comprehensive focus on conflict and crises.  Nick Mabey attended one such meeting recently, entitled ‘Making the Difference: Strengthening Capacities to Respond to Crises and Security Threats’ in Brussels. As rapporteur to the session focusing on climate change and its links to security, Nick Mabey provides his assessment of the discussions, and recommendations, below. Nick also recently presented at the European Commission’s Green Week 2009 on Climate Change and International Security; his presentation is available to download above.  Rapporteur’s Report of Session on Climate Security, 4th June 2009 Context 1. Uncontrolled climate change would result in 5-7degrees C global temperature rise by 2100. Making the… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment, New Foreign Policy - Activities 2009-06-26T13:26:42+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/the-future-of-climate-policy/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/the-future-of-climate-policy/#When:13:54:09Z Tom Burke was recently invited to address The Tomorrow Project at an event held at the Royal Society. His speech is below and available to download too, calling on political will to ‘protect the future of civilisation’. The Future of Climate Policy An idea that has been haunting me since the beginning of the year is that this is the most important year in human history. Ideas do not seek permission before they enter your mind and they are not always the most welcome of guests. This was very definitely an unwelcome idea. It was prompted by the articles run in several newspapers anticipating the events of the year to come. Bravely, they passed judgement on the likelihood of everything from an early election (no) to the bombing of Iran; from the price of oil (higher) to the fall of Mugabe. They were full of prognostications – mostly very gloomy – about the state of the economy. We know that, terrible though consequences of war and recession are, they pass. Climate change is for ever. But it was what they did… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment 2009-06-22T13:54:09+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/a-transatlantic-agenda-on-climate-security/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/a-transatlantic-agenda-on-climate-security/#When:13:59:11Z In February 2009, E3G’s CEO Nick Mabey spoke at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars exploring a possible Transatlantic Agenda for addressing climate security threats. Issue of National Security There is a growing consensus that climate change is a serious national security threat. This threat has been brought to light by a steady drumbeat of reports, analyses, and high-level meetings among government security analysts and military and foreign think tanks in the US and EU.  They report that rising resource scarcity and environmental degradation due to climate change will be a threat multiplier, particularly in the most fragile regions of the world, will cause migrations that will lead to additional conflict, and will add tensions even in stable regions.  At the moment most of the discussions around climate change think about it as basically an economic problem … but essentially life will continue as we expect it. But if you look at the science, and particularly the most recent science, you see that that’s a very unlikely scenario unless we make quite radical changes.” Last year saw the first US National Intelligence Estimate to consider the impacts of… New Foreign Policy - Activities, New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2009-02-19T13:59:11+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/invitation-climate-change-and-security-the-geopolitics-of-tomorrow/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/invitation-climate-change-and-security-the-geopolitics-of-tomorrow/#When:13:20:06Z The reality of climate change will require fundamental changes to the practice of international relations. Impacting on strategic interests, alliances, borders, threats, economic relationships, comparative advantages and the nature of international cooperation, climate change geopolitics will extend far outside the environment sphere, and will link old problems in new ways. Managing the complexity of collective security will become an ever more important part of foreign policy. Climate Change and Security: The geopolitics of tomorrow The Centre and E3G invite you to a discussion on the security implications of climate change. Tuesday 20 May from 13:00 to 14:30 with a sandwich lunch served from 12:30 to 13:00 With: Nick Mabey (Chief Executive, E3G) and Steven Everts (Special Counsellor in the Cabinet of High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana), Chaired by Martin Porter Security sector actors must communicate the security implications and costs of uncontrolled and extreme climate change to political leaders and the public. The security sector has the vital - and expensively acquired - experience of how government can drive technological development and infrastructure deployment at scale. Climate change is also a security opportunity. A low-carbon global economy will be a… New Foreign Policy - Activities 2008-05-08T13:20:06+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/new-frameworks-for-delivering-global-climate-and-energy-security/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/new-frameworks-for-delivering-global-climate-and-energy-security/#When:13:05:14Z Until very recently Climate Protection and Energy Security have been viewed as largely contradictory or separate objectives. This week saw the Athens Summit on Climate Change and Energy Security strive to overthrow this zero-sum mentality. E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey has been a member of the advisory board planning the summit, and also contributed a major presentation for the session “The Environment and Energy Communities Meet: Finding Common Ground for Energy and Climate Security”. Nick’s presentation “Beyond Zero Sum Politics: New Frameworks for delivering Global Climate and Energy Security” is attached here in pdf format for download. It outlines the need for closer cooperation between major energy consumers to secure energy and climate security; giving an agenda for collaboration to underpin and strengthen the UN climate change negotiations. Commenting on the unprecedented nature of the summit, Nick Mabey said: We need to create more coherence between energy and climate change policies. The fact that the Athens Summit has brought together the energy security and climate change communities for the first time at a major event shows how far we have to go in developing a common vision of a clean and… New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2008-05-07T13:05:14+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/delivering-climate-security-nick-mabey-interview/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/delivering-climate-security-nick-mabey-interview/#When:12:55:03Z Following on from the publication of Nick Mabey’s report ‘Delivering Climate Security’, BusinessGreen.com have interviewed Nick on the topic, including discussion of the implications for business. The full interview follows below: “Climate Change represents an existential threat” Former senior advisor to the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, Nick Mabey, warns that governments and businesses must begin to frame climate change as a global security issue James Murray, BusinessGreen, 07 May 2008 BusinessGreen.com: You recently wrote a report for the Royal United Services Institute warning that unless climate change is brought under control we could see a century long conflict on a scale of the two World Wars. What basis do you have for such a shocking prediction? Nick Mabey: The prediction is based directly on the Stern Report, although it is worth noting that Stern has said recently that he underestimated scale of the problem in that report. If you take Stern and the IPCC’s projections – that if we don’t control emissions then an increase in temperature of between five and six degrees by… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment 2008-05-07T12:55:03+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/sustainability-and-foreign-policy/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/sustainability-and-foreign-policy/#When:08:22:01Z In collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics, the Institute for Public Policy Research has today launched a new book entitled “Progressive Foreign Policy: New Directions for the UK”. The publication states that it “aims to generate some innovative thinking on the major foreign policy challenges facing the UK over the next ten years, to articulate a distinctively progressive view of foreign policy, and to outline some new policy ideas in specific areas”. The book includes a chapter authored by E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey. Entitled “Sustainability and Foreign Policy”, it focuses on: the scale of the global environmental challenge, with a particular focus on climate change; linkages between environmental pressures and violent conflict; three priorities that the UK government should take to respond to environmental problems: 1. improve the UK’s own performance on environmental issues 2. promote a bigger role for Europe in tackling environmental problems 3. at the global level, to strengthen global environmental governance and to enhance international cooperation on… New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2007-09-06T08:22:01+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/international-development-and-global-public-goods-an-analytical-framework/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/international-development-and-global-public-goods-an-analytical-framework/#When:12:49:00Z In an increasingly interdependent world, sustainable development issues are ever more transboundary in nature. Last year we were commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development to develop a major new analytical framework on the topic of Global Public Goods (GPGs)*. We’re now in a position to share some of our thinking on this more widely, and have attached for download the conceptual framework we presented. This was the starting point for more in-depth E3G analysis on 9 key GPGs. This framework outlines the important links between the provision of global public goods and poverty reduction; barriers to the production of GPGs; and key strategic considerations for development agencies as they make investments. Developing effective strategies for cooperation over GPG provision holds the key to solving many of the most pressing sustainable development challenges facing the world today - including tackling climate change, peace and security and anti-corruption issues. As part of E3G’s core mission to deliver sustainable development outcomes, we would be interested in working with other institutions in this field to help them develop their own strategies. Do contact us if you would like… New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2007-08-29T12:49:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/security-trends-and-threat-misperceptions/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/security-trends-and-threat-misperceptions/#When:11:47:00Z The Smith Institute has recently launched a new publication entitled “Britain and Security” which includes a chapter authored by E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey. The publication analyses the security challenges facing Britain in the face of “international and domestic terrorism; energy insecurity; organised crime; infectious disease; and the consequences of conflicts and instability elsewhere in the world”. Nick Mabey’s chapter is titled “Security trends and threat misperceptions”, and focuses on: The security challenges of growing interdependence Four trends to watch – organised crime and corruption, infectious diseases, financial stability, and energy and climate security Reducing the risks of instability and conflict Rebalancing the strategic mix             The full text follows below and is also attached in PDF format for download. The whole publication can be downloaded from The Smith Institute website.               Security Trends and Threat Misperceptions Contribution to ‘Britain and Security’ ed. Dr Paul Cornish, published by The Smith Institute Nick Mabey Beyond Intent: The Security Challenges of Growing Interdependence The threat of terrorism… New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2007-08-07T11:47:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/report-on-uk-foreign-office-could-do-better/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/report-on-uk-foreign-office-could-do-better/#When:10:23:00Z The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has now published its report on Trade, Development and Environment: The Role of the FCO. E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey gave evidence to the committee, so it is interesting to see how their recommendations reflect his suggestions - particularly in the areas of security threats, environmental expertise, fragmented strategy and leadership by example. Here’s some details from the EAC Press Notice: The EAC acknowledges that the FCO is doing some good work on a number of international environmental issues, and commends the Rt. Hon Margaret Beckett MP, the Foreign Secretary, for making climate change a key international priority for the FCO. The recent appointment of a Special Representative on Climate Change and the Foreign Secretary’s robust argument for the consideration of climate change at the UN Security Council is evidence of the diplomatic effort that the FCO is putting behind this issue. Nevertheless, the EAC has major concerns that the FCO is neglecting a number of key international challenges including biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. The EAC is concerned that the… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment 2007-05-23T10:23:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/preventive-diplomacy-new-taskforce-launched/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/preventive-diplomacy-new-taskforce-launched/#When:12:57:00Z 22nd May saw the launch of a new International Taskforce for Preventive Diplomacy, an initiative of the EastWest Institute. E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey is the Vice Chair of this new group, which will be looking for practical ways to improve preventative diplomacy and reduce the risk of conflict and instability. It will particularly focus on the role of scarce natural resources, climate change, and energy as drivers of conflict. The taskforce states that it aims to motivate the international community to prevent violent conflict.” and that it has one goal: to build domestic and international political will to shorten the time between early warning and effective early response to prevent violent conflicts.” Further information about the launch of the taskforce is available in this EWI Press Release. New Foreign Policy - Activities 2007-05-22T12:57:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/sustainability-and-foreign-policy-the-role-of-the-fco/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/sustainability-and-foreign-policy-the-role-of-the-fco/#When:14:04:00Z The Trade, Development and Environment Sub-Committee of the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee has recently been undertaking an inquiry into the role of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in delivering the UK’s international environmental objectives. E3G was invited to submit a paper setting out our perspectives on the role of the FCO. Nick Mabey’s working paper in response ‘Sustainability and Foreign Policy’ is attached as a pdf download. Nick also contributed written evidence to some questions from the inquiry team - we’ll provide a link to those just as soon as they are published on the EAC website. Update (16th May): Nick’s written answers to the EAC’s questions have now been published online. Here they are: 1. Do you feel that the recent restructuring at the FCO, in which the Environmental Policy Department was incorporated into the Sustainable Development and Business Group and Climate Change and Energy Group, has resulted in a loss of focus and expertise on environmental issues? The restructuring strengthened the FCO’s role on climate change to an extent, though the hoped for synthesis of… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment, New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2007-04-02T14:04:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/world-economic-forum-world-is-more-vulnerable-to-global-risks/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/world-economic-forum-world-is-more-vulnerable-to-global-risks/#When:12:35:01Z Last week the World Economic Forum (WEF) held its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, providing an occasion for politicians and business leaders to discuss the current global economic and political situation. Speeches by Blair et al may have grabbed the limelight this time around (at least in the absence of the celebrities of previous years), but perhaps more overlooked has been the WEF’s significant focus on global risks and our collective capacity to respond. Global risks – global responses required Back in 2004, the WEF founded the Global Risk Network in an attempt to bring together cross-sectoral responses to a new set of emerging global risks: In an increasingly complex and interconnected global environment, risks can no longer be contained within geographical or system boundaries. No one company, industry or state can successfully understand and mitigate global risks.” For this year’s WEF annual meeting, the network’s Report on Global Risks highlights that the world is neither prepared nor adequately equipped to effectively deal with increasing global risks. Companies, governments and global governance structures all need… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment 2007-01-30T12:35:01+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/how-power-has-shifted/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/how-power-has-shifted/#When:11:20:00Z Another excellent article from Timothy Garton Ash in today’s Guardian analyses the impact of globalisation on international power relations. Written from the World Economic Forum in Davos, his view is that The unipolar moment of US supremacy has passed. Power is now diffused between multiple states and groups.” The two major trends shaping the current international system are, in his view, the “Asian renaissance and energy race”. The latter in particular is gifting influence to a new category of “explotiative powers” - the major exporters of oil and gas. After also discussing the influence of terrorism and the “15 minutes of power” granted to individuals by the internet, his final three paragraphs go a long way to setting out the challenge that must be responded to by the emerging New Foreign Policy. I think they are worth copying in full: So the new power equation is a complex differential one. This also means that the world is more difficult than ever to “manage” in the way envisaged by the architects of the post-1945 international order. (States themselves are also becoming more difficult for… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment 2007-01-25T11:20:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/environment-and-security-an-inventory-of-policies-and-practices/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/environment-and-security-an-inventory-of-policies-and-practices/#When:09:45:01Z The Institute for Environmental Security has just launched a new publication, which features a foreward by E3G’s Nick Mabey. Drawing on his previous experience as team leader of the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit work on ‘Countries at Risk of Instability’, Nick sets out an overview of the challenge facing security analysts as they grapple with the increasing threats from environmental instability and resource scarcity. Nick’s foreward follows below and is also attached as a pdf download. About the Report Inventory of Environment and Security Policies and Practices (IESPP). An Overview of Strategies and Initiatives of Selected Governments, International Organisations and Inter-Governmental Organisations. This report provides an easy to use comparative overview of existing governmental and inter-governmental positions and actions dealing with the relationship between environment, security and sustainable development. Focusing on selected OECD Member States, including several EU Member States, the report describes the environment and security policies and practices of 13 counties as well as 7 international / intergovernmental organisations. The IESPP report illustrates how the selected governments / IGOs have addressed their stated environmental security priorities through various policies, programmes and projects with respect to eight key… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment, New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2006-10-24T09:45:01+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/evidence-to-the-foreign-affairs-committee/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/evidence-to-the-foreign-affairs-committee/#When:14:59:02Z On the 26th April John Ashton gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Commitee of the House of Commons for their report into East Asia. The focus of his evidence was on the environmental consequences of the rise of China and the need for proactive European engagement. The report of the Committee has just been published and you can now find the transcript of John’s evidence online (click on ‘next’ at the bottom of the evidence webpage for the concluding section). The second section of the Committee’s report includes reference to John’s evidence - particularly in paragraphs 45 to 61. New Foreign Policy - News & Comment 2006-08-13T14:59:02+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/blogging-global-public-goods/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/blogging-global-public-goods/#When:13:03:01Z Clive Bates of the UK’s Environment Agency attended our session at DFID today on Global Public Goods, and was sufficiently stimulated to make a post about it on his own blog. Clive also refers to us as “ubiquitous penseurs of globalisation”, but I’m not sure if that is a compliment… New Foreign Policy - News & Comment, New Foreign Policy - Activities 2006-08-03T13:03:01+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/environment-and-security-a-forward-agenda/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/environment-and-security-a-forward-agenda/#When:10:57:00Z In his previous role at the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey led work analysing Countries at Risk of Instability. The challenges faced by these countries in many ways give us an indication of the likely security challenges of a resource constrained world. Nick has recently made a number of speeches on the theme of environment and security, and has drawn together some of the key issues facing policy makers. A pdf version of Nick’s new briefing paper is attached for download, the text also follows below. The growing environment and security challenge Conflict over natural resources, whether driven by need or greed, has always been a part of human society. There is also strong evidence that social tensions driven by past climatic change destroyed many advanced societies; such as the long-wave droughts which drove the collapse of early civilisations in Mesopotamia and Peru. The coming decades will see rising resource scarcity, greater environmental degradation and increasingly disruptive climatic change. In fact, in an increasingly uncertain world these trends are disturbingly predictable. The question is whether increasing environmental and resource pressures will reduce security and stability, or will our political, governance and security systems be… New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2006-07-28T10:57:00+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/climate-change-and-environmental-security/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/climate-change-and-environmental-security/#When:12:39:01Z From the 9 - 12 May 2004, The Institute for Environmental Security organised The Hague Conference on Environment, Security and Sustainable Development, held at The Peace Palace, The Hague, The Netherlands. Two E3G articles featured elsewhere on our site were used as background material for the conference: The Geopolitics of Climate Change by John Ashton and Tom Burke Europe’s Mars Mission by John Ashton The pdf versions of both articles as used at the conference are attached here.   New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2004-05-09T12:39:01+00:00 http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/the-end-of-foreign-policy/ http://www.e3g.org/programmes/foreign-articles/the-end-of-foreign-policy/#When:12:45:00Z During 2001, the founders of E3G contributed to the influential pamphlet ‘The End of Foreign Policy?: British Interests, Global Linkages and Natural Limits’ published by Peter Hain MP. This set out the ways in which foreign policy, and foreign ministries, would need to be re-cast in an interdependent and highly connected world. As a direct result two EU states restructured their foreign ministries. A pdf version of the pamphlet is attached for download. Copies of the printed version of the pamphlet are available for purchase from Chatham House. New Foreign Policy - Thinking 2001-01-15T12:45:00+00:00