"Thank you very much, Heiko, for inviting me to share our views in the Berlin Climate and Security Conference. Although my country Estonia has been spared major disasters caused by climate change, the shifting climate patterns have had a considerable effect on our biodiversity, agriculture and forestry sectors, not to mention effects on our snowy winters. But we know, should the impacts of the climate change be so severe that it threatens the security, we in the EU have means to support each other through our solidarity mechanisms.
In many regions around the world, however, climate change impacts are clear drivers to insecurity and a well-recognized risk for peace and security. It poses an existential threat to Small Islands Developing States, it robs the livelihoods of communities everywhere and contributes to people leaving their homes in desperation, causing migration waves.
As a member of the UN Security Council, we clearly see the need to address those issues. Climate change is a threat multiplier. We must take immediate action to change the course of these developments. Instead of dealing with massively disruptive consequences of climate change, we must pay particular attention to prevention tools and strategies. These will safe human lives, not to speak of saving a lot of costs.
Many of the countries vulnerable to climate change also belong to the world’s most fragile ones, thus do not have the capacities to cope with climate-related security risks. They will need assistance from the international community. Who else than the UN Security Council can be at the center of this approach? To enable this, ten like-minded countries, including Estonia and Germany, have been working on the first UN resolution which would give the UN Secretary General a concrete mandate to report to the Security Council about the security implications of climate change in a relevant country or region.
Because there is no simple causal relation between climate change and fragility. The links and implications are extremely context-specific. Thus, to address climate-related security implications we need international data, as well as systematic reporting, by the UN Secretary General. This will improve our overall understanding and assist countries in finding the right tools to tackle the challenges they face. It should, of course, be supported by modern technology, all societies with the necessary assistance can achieve this. Estonia can say this, based on our experience in digitalization and innovation. It is certainly the most efficient approach to take as proved by early warning systems.
In conclusion, the security implications of climate changes do not know borders. It is our common responsibility and multilateralism is therefore not an option but a necessity. The UN Security Council need to act according to its mandate – maintain peace and security. As a member of the Security Council, we will keep this important issue high on the Council’s agenda and we hope for a wide support. Thank you."
