Thank you Chairs. To our keynote speakers, Minister Dalli, Minister Panayiotou and Secretary General, dear Helga, thank you for your remarks. Thank you also to our expert panel.
Before I speak to today's important topic, it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the tragic death of Alexi Navalny who dedicated his life to exposing the corruption of the Russian system. It is clear the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat, that is why they imprisoned him on fabricated charges, poisoned him with a banned nerve agent and sent him to an Arctic penal colony. No-one should doubt the brutal nature of the Russian system. Our thoughts are with his family, his supporters and the people of Russia. We will revert to this issue at the next Permanent Council.
In addition to acts of internal repression, Russia's war of aggression has had devastating impacts on the environment, with far-reaching consequences in Ukraine and beyond its borders. At a time of global climate crisis, Russia's actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the environmental consequences of war.
We have witnessed the widespread destruction of Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including industrial facilities and energy installations. This has led to severe pollution and environmental degradation which pose threats to both human health and ecosystems across large areas.
While thankfully the risk of radiological release remains low, Russia's seizure and ongoing occupation of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains cause for grave concern. Russia must immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine and return full control of the nuclear facilities at ZNPP to their rightful owner to ensure safe and secure operation, and to minimise the risk of an incident with catastrophic environmental consequences.
The UK sees an undeniable link between climate, nature, and security. Environmental and climate factors can act as both catalysts and multipliers for conflict. And both the environment and our climate can be impacted by military activity.
The growing climate and nature crisis demands that we consider more carefully the environmental impact of military actions. Tackling climate change and biodiversity loss is one of the UK Government's key international priorities. It is underpinned by a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The UK Defence establishment is fully committed to playing its part. Climate change is now seen as a whole-of-Defence issue in the UK.
The intersection of gender, conflict, and the environment is a complex and crucial area. Existing gender inequalities mean that the impact of climate change and disasters fall unequally on women and girls. Inequality means that their access to resources is limited and their exposure to disaster-induced risks and losses is increased. Recognising these impacts is essential for sustainable recovery and peace efforts. Women and girls are often excluded from formal systems to address the drivers of climate change yet are key to finding localised solutions.
We welcome this important discussion today. The OSCE's comprehensive approach to security makes it the right place to discuss the intersection between security and climate. We are grateful to the Secretary General and Chair-in-Office for continuing to make climate security a key theme within the organisation.
