Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction and overview of the book. It describes the overall context of NATO’s risk governance and its importance as it concerns climate change. It also explains the research aims and objectives of the book, and the specific purpose of each ensuing chapter.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
NATO Research and Technology Organisation, “Joint Operations 2030—Final Report (Opérations Interarmées 2030—Rapport Final)” (Brussels, 2011).
- 2.
Ibid.
- 3.
Like a similar effort conducted by NATO’s Research and Technology Organization, this analysis assumes that if it needed or wanted to, NATO could or would adapt—including in its membership—to organizational change in how the Alliance is structured, managed, and administered, and to various doctrinal debates. Ibid.
- 4.
United Nations, The Paris Decision, 2015.
- 5.
A variation of this point was also included in the following source: Robert J. Lempert, Steven W. Popper, and Steven C. Bankes, Shaping the Next One Hundred Years: New Methods for Quantitative, Long-Term Policy Analysis (RAND Corporation, 2003), 1571–73.
- 6.
UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, “Adapting Institutions to Climate Change,” 2010.
- 7.
Canada previously opposed a NATO role in the Arctic, insisting that Arctic issues be handled in the Arctic Council.
- 8.
Thus, the analysis is potentially just as useful for the future development and refinement of the framework as it is in helping NATO understand the dimensions of risk governance related to climate and security. As a result, this project will also contribute to the assessment of the framework’s “practicability,” an effort that followed the 2013 release of the white paper describing the prototype framework.
- 9.
Ortwin Renn, “White Paper No. 1: Risk Governance—Towards and Integrative Approach” (Geneva: International Risk Governance Council, 2005).
- 10.
The IRGC framework provides guidance “intended to promote thinking about whether an organization has the right procedures in place to deal with risks as they are recognized, even risks that are only vaguely known or the full ramifications of which are not yet understood.” International Risk Governance Council, “Risk Governance Deficits: An Analysis and Illustration of the Most Common Deficits in Risk Governance” (Lausanne, 2009), 10.
- 11.
Documents such as those released by the IPCC are often criticized as conservative and modest in their estimation of climate forecasts. However, when viewed through the prism of NATO, they possess the “benefit” of having been produced by the IPCC rules on consensus among scientists (and brokering by political actors) in a way that roughly approximates the consensus rule employed by NATO. Therefore, while IPCC reports may be scientifically insufficient, they are nevertheless politically palatable, which is a critical feature in finding agreement within NATO.
- 12.
The Summary for Policymakers (which accompanies each chapter of their reports) undergoes government review and is agreed upon through a consensus process similar to NATO. All 29 NATO member states are members of the IPCC.
- 13.
NATO Research and Technology Organisation, “Joint Operations 2030—Final Report (Opérations Interarmées 2030—Rapport Final).”
- 14.
The NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) is now known as the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO). When I refer to the Research and Technology Organization, it is in a context where RTO conducted the work in question or was still in existence (prior to 30 June 2012).
- 15.
In general, when I refer to NATO I am speaking with respect to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. However, I use the expression “NATO Headquarters” when I feel further clarity and precision is needed.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lippert, T.H. (2019). Introduction. In: NATO, Climate Change, and International Security. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14560-6_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14560-6_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14559-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-14560-6
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)