International Diplomacy and the Environment

The UK Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has today published a report arguing that the environment plays a complex and important role in conflict and its resolution, and therefore environmental protection must be considered security issues of critical importance to the UK Government and to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in particular. The Committee argues that since the costs and risks associated with climate change are widely accepted the FCO must build international support for international environmental objectives and will have a pivotal role in securing international negotiations on biodiversity and climate change.