Press release

Weather of Mass Destruction?

December 3, 2007

Climate Change as the 'New' Security Problem

December 12, 2007 1100 – 1200 hrs
Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall, London

Once seen as an environmental issue, then as an energy problem, climate change is now being recast as a security threat. This presentation will discuss the rise of climate change as a security issue and question what it means for economic and political stability around the world.

The Royal United Services Institute's Climate Change and Security program welcomes Oli Brown of the International Institute of Sustainable Development to the first in a series of talks on climate change and security.

Oli Brown is a program manager and policy researcher for IISD's Trade and Investment, and Security programs. He also co-ordinates the Trade, Aid and Security initiative – a joint IISD/IUCN project that focuses on the way in which the trade in natural resources can contribute to violent conflict, and on the role of development assistance and trade liberalisation in fuelling or alleviating this downward spiral.

Over the past year, Oli has written extensively on the security implications of climate change: for the Human Development Report of the UNDP; the journal International Affairs and for the Canadian and Danish governments. He just returned from West Africa where he has been conducting national level surveys in Ghana and Burkina Faso of the security implications of climate change.

If you would like to attend this free event, please complete and return the booking form (DOC - 492 kb) to confirm your place.

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 250 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.