US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomes G7-commissioned report "A New Climate for Peace"

Climate change poses a serious threat to global security, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a recent statement acknowledging a report prepared by an international consortium led by adelphi. He also welcomed a newly established G7 working group scrutinizing the report’s recommendations.

The press statement published on 23 June 2015 of the U.S. Secretary of State:

"Climate change is a threat multiplier for instability throughout the world - and the report released this week further illustrates this. Climate change has far-reaching political and economic implications, and poses a serious threat to global security.

The analysis starkly demonstrates that climate change can increase the risk of instability and conflict across the globe. Prolonged and severe droughts have contributed to conflict, from Syria to Mali. Rising seas are already threatening low-lying lands, from Bangladesh to the Pacific and Caribbean Islands. It also underscores that those countries already struggling with fragility and conflict are often those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The report provides specific recommendations for how governments can address the risks of climate change and fragility through development, foreign policy, and national security efforts. In the United States, we are pushing ourselves to think beyond traditional approaches to consider innovative ways to integrate these types of considerations into all of the work we do - including this week's Strategic & Economic Dialogue with China, where climate change will be a major focus of discussions; and our chairmanship of the Arctic Council, where we will continue to focus on the effects of climate change.

Operational change is needed to counter this global threat, so I'm pleased that the G-7 has established a working group to scrutinize the recommendations presented to enhance international cooperation on climate change and fragility. As we continue our efforts to reach a global climate agreement in Paris in December of this year, we must all commit to tackle these challenges together."

A New Climate for Peace: Taking Action on Climate and Fragility Risks is an independent report commissioned by the G7 Member States. The report identifies seven compound climate-fragility risks that pose serious threats to the stability of states and societies in the decades ahead. Based on a thorough assessment of existing policies on climate change adaptation, development cooperation and humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding, the report recommends that the G7 take concrete action, both as individual members and jointly, to tackle climate-fragility risks and increase the resilience of states and societies to them. The report was prepared by an independent consortium of leading research institutes, consisting of International Alert (UK), the Woodrow Wilson Center (USA) and the European Union Institute for Security Studies (France) led by adelphi.

» Learn more about the report here: http://www.newclimateforpeace.org/

» Statement on the website of the US State Department