(L-R): François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence; Stéphanie Empain, MP; Tom Middendorp, former Chief of Staff of the Dutch Armed Forces and IMCCS Chairman;
Credit: Direction de la Défense
On Thursday 24 June 2021, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, François Bausch presented the conclusions of the “World Climate and Security Report 2021” to the members of the Committee for Internal Security and Defense of the Chamber of Deputies, Luxembourg's parliament, in the presence of retired General, Tom Middendorp, former Chief of Staff of the Dutch Armed Forces and Chairman of the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS, which brings together security and defense experts and think tanks).
This report, which was prepared by the expert group of the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS), was fully funded by the Defense Directorate. It analyses the risks associated with climate change as well as their impact on the security situation around the world.
"The rise in temperatures, repeated droughts, the multiplication of fires or the rise in the level of the oceans are only the most visible consequences of climate change" declared Minister Bausch during the presentation of the conclusions. "They constitute a multiplier of risks and threats, especially weakening States or regions, which are often already marked by other weaknesses such as poverty, high demographic growth or weak governance, in particular because of increased competition around access to natural resources, including arable land and drinking water, essential to the survival of populations."
General Middendorp underlined the solutions that the armed forces can bring to the resolution of the security problems linked to climate change.
The Defense Minister welcomed the recent change in mentalities seen among many of his counterparts, especially within NATO. “When I spoke about the links between climate change and security to my counterparts two years ago, I felt a certain misunderstanding, whereas recently the subject was raised extensively on the occasion of the summit of NATO. This paradigm shift is very encouraging and shows that this report contributes to better awareness."
After the meeting with the Committee on Internal Security and Defense, Minister Bausch and General Middendorp also met representatives of civil society for a first exchange of views on this subject.
Luxembourg Defense intends to invest more in this matter, in particular at EU and NATO level.
