Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council — “A new outlook on the climate and security nexus: Addressing the impac...

Official Journal of the European Union EN C series C/2024/2106 26.3.2024 Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council — “A new outlook on the climate and security nexus: Addressing the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on peace, security and defence”’ (JOIN(2023) 19 final) (C/2024/2106) Rapporteur: Ozlem YILDIRIM Referral European Commission, 18.8.2023 Legal basis Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Section responsible Section for External Relations Adopted in section 21.12.2023 Adopted at plenary 17.1.2024 Plenary session No 584 Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions) 162/3/0 1. Conclusions and recommendations 1.1. The EESC believes that the effects of climate change and environmental degradation are exacerbating the risks and threats to peace and European and international security. Runaway climate change is leading to a proliferation of extreme climate events, combined with multiple forms of environmental degradation. These dynamics combine with the agricultural, water and infrastructural vulnerabilities that affect people in many countries, with the risk that they end up driving social, economic, institutional and political destabilisation. 1.2. While the EESC can only support the European Commission's intention to take account of the climate and security nexus, the document published by the Commission struggles to...