Margaret Beckett Responds
to the Publication of the United Nations Report on Climate Change
FOREIGN AND
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE News Release issued by The Government News
Network on
Commenting on the
publication of yesterday's UN report on climate change,
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said:
"The destruction described in these findings is a threat not
only to the UK's prosperity but also to international peace
and security. That is why, at the UK's initiative, the UN
Security Council will on the 17th April hold its first ever
discussion on the security implications of climate change. We hope
that this discussion will foster a shared understanding of the way
in which climate stress is likely to amplify other drivers of
conflict and tension, and thereby strengthen the commitment of the
international community to the collective action that we urgently need."
Notes to editors:
Addressing climate change is a key priority for the UK.
* The UK was instrumental in building consensus at the recent
European Council on a far-reaching package of targets and measures
to build a low-carbon economy in Europe.
* The UK, together with the German G8 Presidency, is pressing to
secure an agreement among G8 partners and the major emerging
economies on the key components of a post-2012 international
climate change initiative at the Heiligendamm G8 Summit.
* This will be an essential condition for progress at the next UK
Climate Change conference in Bali in the Autumn