World in Transition: Climate Change as a Security Risk - WBGU

to change the global discourse, and thus the world
political agenda, in such a way that the ‘ war on terror’
is replaced as the hegemonic discourse in international
relations. The intention is certainly not to
play down the significance of the problem of global
terrorism, but it could be argued that global climate
change and poverty pose a greater collective threat
to human security than terrorism. Former US President
Clinton has also emphasized that although climate
change appears more remote than terrorism, it
actually constitutes the greater threat (Economist,
2006).
Climate change can certainly be regarded as a collective
threat to humankind which can only be countered
effectively through joint efforts by the international
community as a whole (or at least through a
strong ‘ coalition of the willing’ involving all the major
actors). If the efforts to curb climate change fail, this
will have a damaging effect on humankind as a whole
– not just individual states or societies – in the long
term. Moreover, more intensive efforts to achieve
fair, resolute and targeted international cooperation
in the field of climate protection or poverty reduction
are likely to strengthen the multilateral architecture
as a whole and thus make a contribution to peaceful
development in the world.
10.3.1.2
Initiative 2: Reforming the United Nations
It has become commonplace in international politics
to diagnose a substantial need for reform of
the United Nations and its institutions, notably in
the field of environmental and development policy.
The publication of a series of expert reports under
the auspices of former UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan (UN, 2004, 2006b), Annan’s own reform proposals,
entitled In Larger Freedom and unveiled at
the special session of the General Assembly in 2005
(UNSG, 2005) and the expectations aroused by the
appointment of the new Secretary-General Ban Kimoon
are currently generating a relatively high level
of interest in the UN’s reform agenda among the
member states. Ultimately, it is their political will that
will determine the substance and tangible outcomes
of possible reforms.
Among the member states, it is the industrialized
countries in particular which must demonstrate that
they are serious about their reform rhetoric and are
willing to provide the financial resources that may be
necessary for the reform process. At the same time,
the developing countries must move away from a
position which combines empty demands for a leading
role in the United Nations with obstinate adherence
to an anachronistic status quo (Fues, 2006). Oth-
The window of opportunity for climate security: 2007–2020 10.3
erwise, this reform dynamic will also quickly wane.
The report Delivering as One (UN, 2006b), produced
by the High-Level Panel on System-wide Coherence
towards the end of Kofi Annan’s term of office and
focussing on the areas of development, humanitarian
assistance and the environment, is encouraging, for it
provides a realistic appraisal of the current situation
and sets out largely pragmatic demands.
As environmentally induced conflicts and the
associated security issues are likely to increase in significance,
the question which arises is which role the
United Nations and its various institutions should
play in managing these problems. On the one hand,
the institutions and mechanisms already existing
within the UN system could be utilized. On the other
hand, not least in light of the reform efforts mentioned
above, targeted institutional adjustments are
both desirable and conceivable.
Reflecting on the role and tasks of the UN
Security Council
In recent years, in relation to ‘humanitarian interventions’,
there has been intensive debate about the conditions
under which the United Nations may intervene
in domestic crisis situations, generally those in
which there is a threat to international security as
a result of massive human rights violations (Ipsen,
2004; Janse, 2006). There is general consensus that
when the Security Council, in a resolution, determines
the existence of a threat to the peace pursuant
to Article 39 of the United Nations Charter due to
human rights violations within a state, it may deploy
the instruments of collective security in accordance
with Chapter VII of the Charter (measures to maintain
or restore international peace and security) and
apply sanctions (Kimminich, 1997).
In WBGU’s view, severe environmental degradation
and environmentally induced conflicts can
be regarded as a threat to international security and
world peace. The impacts of climate change constitute
a particularly high potential risk in this context.
Presumably, therefore, the Security Council is
also authorized to take action under Chapter VII of
the United Nations Charter in cases of widespread
destruction of natural environmental goods and grave
violations of international environmental law. A further
argument in favour of this position is that climate
change impacts, not least, on human rights and
therefore could be said to constitute a threat to the
peace pursuant to Article 39 of the United Nations
Charter.
This means that the Security Council is in principle
authorized to apply appropriate sanctions against the
states responsible (Elliott, 2002; Fassbender, 2005).
At the first Security Council meeting with Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon on 8 January 2007, Belgium
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