Washington. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has issued an urgent warning of the global security risks posed by climate change. “Climate change is making the world more unsafe and we have to act,” said Austin on Thursday at the climate summit convened by US President Joe Biden. “The climate crisis is a deeply destabilizing force for our world.”
Austin added, “Today no nation can find permanent security without dealing with the climate crisis. In our job we are confronted with all sorts of threats, but only a few of them really deserve to be called existential. ”But such a name applies to the climate crisis.
Climate change threatens many regions of the world
Austin referred to the melting ice in the Arctic and increasing competition for resources and influence in the region. In Africa and Central America, on the other hand, millions of people are at risk of drought, hunger and displacement due to rising temperatures and extreme weather, he said.
In the Pacific, rising sea levels and more frequent and stronger storms put people at risk. “While families risk their lives in search of security, mass migration makes them vulnerable to exploitation and radicalization, all of which undermine stability.”
Defense is made more difficult by climate change
Climate protection also complicates the task of the armed forces, stressed Austin. In the United States and around the world, the climate crisis has “caused significant damage and put people at risk, making it difficult for us to carry out our mission to defend the United States and our allies.”
Biden had invited 40 heads of state and government to the two-day online climate summit. The meeting aims to underline the urgency and economic benefits of stronger climate action on the way to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.
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