NEW: Climate Migration Council Brings Together National Security Leaders to Highlight Security Implications of Climate Migration, Calls for Proactive Action
In New Position Statement On Security And Climate Mobility, the Security Working Group of the Climate Migration Council Urges Security Leaders to Prepare for Climate Migration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Climate Migration Council, a global coalition of government, business, national security, and advocacy leaders, released a Position Statement on Security and Climate Mobility in anticipation of COP29’s “Energy / Peace, Relief, and Recovery” day, set for November 15. As COP29 leaders gather to discuss the deeply inter-connected nature of climate and peace, the statement addresses the urgent need for coordinated action in managing security concerns linked to the climate crisis.
This resource helps explain the global security risks of increased climate migration and promotes a proactive approach to prioritize people’s safety in order to minimize other security risks such as crime, economic strain, terrorism, and exploitation. The statement explores the challenges the climate crisis creates for people’s living conditions, shows the effects of displacement, and offers actionable insights for policymakers around the world.
Climate Migration Council Position Statement on Security and Climate Mobility
The climate crisis is accelerating migration. Promoting security means keeping people safe and ensuring the well-being of the people most affected and displaced by climate change. Global leaders must focus on stabilizing and supporting these communities, ensuring they are resilient – whether they are at risk of climate displacement or already on the move.
“The real security challenge nations are grappling with is not the movement of people but instead the underlying forces that drive them to migrate,” said Michael Chertoff, Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and Climate Migration Council member. “The widespread unplanned movement of people can contribute to the instability of vulnerable regions, which is why we must prioritize policy solutions and financial commitments to halt the most damaging security-related impacts that a planet radically reshaped by climate could bring.”
“As climate change reshapes global migration patterns, the Climate Migration Council’s position emphasizes the need for national security actors to reframe our approach. Our voices are needed in advocating for greater investment in development programs, climate finance, and adaptation measures, which build resilience and contribute to peace and security in vulnerable regions,” said Erin Sikorsky, Director of the Center for Climate and Security and Climate Migration Council member.
“The position statement we are releasing today highlights the need for a more anticipatory approach to climate displacement and provides guidance on avenues for lessening the strain of increased migration and corresponding security concerns," said Sharon Burke, President of Ecospherics, former Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Climate Migration Council member. “We must all adopt a more forward-thinking approach to national security in the context of climate change to address the root causes of displacement and its destabilizing effects.”
To learn more about the Climate Migration Council, visit www.climatemigrationcouncil.org. Writing a story about climate migration and looking for sources? Contact press@climatemigrationcouncil.org to get connected with a member of the Climate Migration Council.