Environment & Development Resource Centre
For 30 Years
Promoting global sustainable development that is
environmentally sound, socially just and respectful of cultural diversity.
EDRC News
Climate disruption plays an undeniable role in various conflict situations. As such, Belgium wants the United Nations to systematically take into account the potential impact of a changing climate in its security actions.
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EDRC assists in the organisation of a special GMACCC event on climate and security in the EU pavilion at COP25 in Madrid on 11 December
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The 12th meeting of the BDCD was co- organised with EUROMIL as a conference on The Climate-Security Nexus: Implications for the Military – Installations, Operations and Personnel in Brussels on 24 October 2019
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The 11th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy was organized as a seminar with the Belgian Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs – 23 October 2019
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The second meeting of the steering committee in the project UNited for Climate Justice was held in Brussels on 24-25 June 2019. The meeting was convened to further the planning for the conference on climate justice to be held on 20 September 2019 in New York ahead of the extraordinary UN Climate Action Summit, 21-23 September under the motto “A race we can win!”
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The theme of this year's OSCE Security Day conference on 4 June 2019 was “The OSCE and the Sustainable Development Goals” including the role of the OSCE working with others to contribute to sustainable peace, security and development.
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Addressing the security implication of a changing climate requires an all-of-government and an all-of-society approach. This event examined how the military and defence community can play an important role in an integrated approach.
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EDRC is working with partners to organise a high-level side event on climate justice ahead of UN Climate Summit in New York in September 2019 and a follow-up conference in Brussels later this year.
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The 9th meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy was co-organised by EDRC and GLOBE-EU at the European Parliament on 9 April 2019 in association with the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change and the Institute for European Environmental Policy.
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The events were aimed toward setting up a new Transatlantic Environment Forum
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EDRC representatives attended a lecture by Joseph Stiglitz presenting "Rewriting the Rules of the European Economy" on 21 March 2019 in Brussels ahead of our workshop on Transatlantic Responses to 21st Century Environmental Challenges on 22 March 2019.
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Climate change and its effects are already proving to be a threat to international security. Extreme consequences are already affecting many people’s livelihoods and biodiversity on the planet. This event looked at what the EU and the UN have been doing and what they are planning for 2019 and beyond.
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Brussels, 10 Dec 2019: Alexander Verbeek explains the urgent need both for effective climate change action and for steps to be taken to prepare for life in a drastically different world, where global warming and related environmental degradation will impact on security.
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20 Nov 2019: Lynn Fries of openDemocracy - an independent global media platform - speaks with Harris Gleckman about the growing corporate influence over our global governance system – and what can be done to stop it.
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13 Apr 2019 Boulder, Colorado: Alexander Verbeek calls on American students to work with Europeans to fight climate change in the session on “Saving the Planet: All Countries on Deck”.
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Brussels, 17 September 2020 - 12th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
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Brussels, 10 march 2020 -11th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
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Brussels, 24 October 2019
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Brussels, 23 October 2019
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New York, 19 to 21 September 2019
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Brussels, 14 May 2019 - 10th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
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Brussels, 9 April 2019 - 9th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
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Washington, DC, 1 April 2019
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Brussels, 22 March 2019
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Brussels, 23 January 2019 - 8th Meeting of the BDCD
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Brussels, 27 September 2018 - 7th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
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Brussels, 28 June 2018 - 6th Meeting of the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
Read MoreMission
Its aim is to contribute to the achievement of global sustainable development that is environmentally sound, socially just and respectful of cultural diversity.
EDRC also serves as a catalyst for new initiatives to redress shortcomings in the international environment-development policy-making process. The Centre acts as an independent 'honest-broker', carrying out and commissioning innovative studies, promoting co-operation between the environment and development movements, between researchers and activists, and between NGOs and decision makers.
Our sister organisation, the International Association EDRC, was established in Brussels in 1988 and operated until 1998. The association's membership consisted of individuals working primarily on international policy issues that have significant implications both for environment and for development. It was their shared conviction that neither area of concern can be effectively addressed in isolation from the other, and that, together, they should be at the centre of political debate on international economic, financial and trade relations - especially South-North and East-West relations.
Photo credit: wallcoo.net / Tucoo.Com
Current Activities
Integrating Development, Environment and Security - The IDEAS action programme
In 2019 EDRC launched its new 3 - year action programme: Integrating Development, Environment and Security (IDEAS).
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Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy
The Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy (BDCD) is an informal network for the exchange of information and promotion of cooperation among European institutions, international organisations, think-tanks and NGOs active in the nexus between climate change and international, national, human and environmental security.
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Transatlantic Responses to 21st Century Environmental Challenges
Through new ways of learning from each other, of pooling our knowledge and creating new innovative dialogues between environmental experts and policy makers we can increase the effectiveness of our separate - and also common - efforts.
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Climate Change and International Security
Since its founding EDRC’s work has included a focus on climate change including since 2009 serving as the international secretariat for the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACCC).
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Peace and Cooperation in Times of Climate Change and Global Environmental Challenges
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Promoting political attention to environmental security as a means to help safeguard essential conditions for peace and sustainable development
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Showcasing indigenous solutions for the management of natural resources that could in turn inspire development policies and projects
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European Union Action to Fight Environmental Crime
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International Research and Information Service for Sustainable Development
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Europe's Role in International Community Action on Environmental Aspects of North-South Economic Relations
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OUR TEAM
Ronald A. Kingham
Executive Director
Ron is co-founder and Executive Director of the EDRC where he also co-coordinates the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy.
Alexander Verbeek
Policy Director
Alexander leads EDRC's policy work and co-coordinates the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy.
Jeannette E. Mullaart
Research Coordinator
Jeannette is EDRC’s Research Coordinator currently focused on our work on climate justice.
Auset Mitchell
Programme Associate
Auset, from the U.S., assists in EDRC’s educational, research and programme activities on climate change and security.
Maria Dzurik
Communication Assistant
Maria, from the U.S. and based in Sweden, assists with EDRC's communications and outreach work.
Nicolò Fasola
Programme Assistant
Nicolò, from Italy, assists with research and educational activities in our work for the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change.
Nishat Kazmi
Research Associate
Nishat is based in Pakistan where he assists in GMACCC's programme, research and educational work on climate change and security
Olivia Lazard
Research Associate
Olivia, from France, advises EDRC in its work on environmental security issues
Jack Saynor
Education Associate
Jack is an associate of EDRC contributing to forward planning for the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change
Philippe Rekacewicz
Information Associate
Philippe is a geographer, cartographer and information designer based in southern Norway
Harris Gleckman
Senior Advisor
Harris is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Governance and Sustainability, University of Massachusetts Boston. He advises EDRC on global governance and democracy issues
Valerie Ndaruzaniye
Senior Advisor
Valerie is an expert in multidisciplinary approaches to environment, development and peace issues
Nasser Yassin
Senior Advisor
Nasser is the Director of Research at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, and professor of policy and planning at the Health Management and Policy Department at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon
Patrice Yamba
Senior Advisor
Patrice has over 30 years’ experience in Remote Sensing & GIS Applications and in management and coordination of multidisciplinary projects
Recent Publications
This paper outlines the environmental dimension of the European security policy and security-related foreign policy and discusses how the integration of environmental concerns into this policy framework could – and should – be improved to support the delivery of the 2030 Sustainability Agenda, both in the EU and globally.
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This inventory produced for the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy highlights over 100 publications, articles, initiatives and events from 2017. It includes everything you need to know about action on Climate Change and International Security in this landmark year.
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