Russia blocks UN effort to treat climate as security threat

Russia on Monday blocked a UN Security Council draft resolution that moved to define climate change as a threat to international peace, AP reports.

Why it matters: The proposal, co-sponsored by Ireland and Niger, would have called for factoring information on climate-related security implications into plans "regarding conflicts, peacekeeping efforts and political decisions," per AP.

• While 12 of the 15-member council voted in favor of the measure, veto-wielding Russia's negative vote blocked the measure.
• American Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticized Russia's move to stop the measure, saying the country "has let the world down, and there is no justification for taking this action."

The backdrop: Earlier this year, the Biden administration released a sweeping set of assessments on climate change's threat to national security and its role in fueling migration.

• The assessments outlined several main risks to U.S. national security interests through 2040, including geopolitical tension as countries address climate change and its effects.
• The security council has discussed climate-related security implications since 2007, according to AP, and the General Assembly declared itself "deeply concerned" about the issue in a 2009 resolution.

What they're saying: "The proposed document was coercing the Council to take a one-dimensional approach to conflicts and threats to international peace and security," Russia's UN Mission said in a statement.

• "It was a generic proposal to establish this automatic link while neglecting all other aspects of situations in countries in conflict or countries lagging behind in their socio-economic development."