CESI’s 7^th European Defence Round Table (EDRT)*

26 September 2023 11:00 – 12:30 PM | online & in Brussels | In English & German languages

The ongoing war in Ukraine has far-reaching implications beyond its immediate geopolitical and humanitarian consequences.

While the EU’s primary objective remains to become climate-neutral by 2050, the war has the potential to impact both the European Union’s climate change goals and the global efforts to combat climate change.

Meanwhile, public support for sanctions against Russia and further military support to Ukraine remains high (Eurobarometer survey).

The 7th European Defence Round Table therefore aims at shedding more light on the climate-security nexus and the impacts of the war on the EU’s and international climate neutrality goals and commitments.

The questions debated shall be as follows:

• Are geopolitical tensions and wars impacting global collaboration and international commitments to climate goals?
• Can energy supply disruptions and shortages potentially affect the EU’s transition to renewable energy sources?
• May continuous military support clash with the replenishment and the modernization of the armed forces of the EU Member States?
• Will, against this background, national armies be able to meet climate objectives?
• Are, against the background of a multitude of challenges and crises, increases of the regular national defence budgets realistic?

With the participation of:

·         Klaus Heeger, Secretary General, CESI

·         Mary Kaldor, Professor of Global Governance at the London School of Economics

·         Jordan Koop, Policy Officer, Emerging Security Challenges at NATO (tbc)

·         Elena Lazarou, Head of the External Policies Unit at the European Parliament Research Service

·         MEP Lukas Mandl, Vice-chair of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and substitute in the Subcommittee on Security and Defence

·         Thomas Sohst, German Armed Forces Association (DBwV), President of CESI´s Commission ‘Defence’

Please register for the CESI’s 7th European Defence Round Table (EDRT) here.

*CESI’s European Defence Round Table (EDRT) aims at including more key players and stakeholders in the processes of the Common Security and Defence Policy.