On Wednesday, 1 March 2023 a delegation from the United States Department of Defense met with representatives of the Stockholm Hub on Environment, Climate and Security at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The meeting focused on climate change’s impact on global security and the need for collaboration to address these challenges. The US delegation included Ms. Iris Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience, Ms. Ester McClure, Director Arctic & Oceans Policy, OSD Policy, CAPT Patrick Greene, Naval Attaché U.S. Embassy Stockholm, and Ms. Kristy Plan, U.S. Embassy Stockholm Political-Economic Assistant.
Dr Krampe, Director of the Climate Change and Risk Programme at SIPRI, opened the meeting by introducing the Hub’s work on providing evidence-based insights on building security and prosperity and strengthening resilience in the face of a changing climate. Philip Beetlestone, Director of the Water Cooperation and Diplomacy Department at SIWI, provided a brief overview of SIWI’s work in addressing the challenges of water scarcity and access in the face of climate change. Emilie Broek, Research Assistant at SIPRI, presented work as part of the Mistra Geopolitics project on the involvement of civil society organizations in Arctic governance, emphasizing the need for inclusive and transparent decision-making processes. Ms. Ferguson then provided insights on the US Department of Defense work on Arctic security and how it is integrating questions of climate security and resilience into the US commands work.
The meeting was concluded with an open discussion, where participants exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change and its impact on global security and the potential of collaboration. The discussions underscored the importance of collaborative efforts between governments and research to successfully mitigate the security risks posed by climate change.
Contact Dr Florian Krampe for more information.