First meeting of NATO climate change envoys to address impacts on security

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland Thórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir opened the event. The participants addressed recent developments affecting climate change and security. These include the weaponisation of energy as part of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the need to avoid creating new strategic dependencies on potential adversaries and competitors for the mining and refining of these critical minerals through the green transition.

This first meeting of climate change envoys demonstrates Allies’ commitment to address the security implications of climate change together. Participants will meet on a regular basis to further strengthen the coordination between national stakeholders.

Since the adoption of its Action Plan on Climate Change and Security in 2021, NATO has been focusing its efforts on three main areas of action: understanding and mitigating the impact of climate change on security, and adapting its militaries to maintain their effectiveness in every environment.