On 13 December 2021, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres promoted the adoption of a draft resolution on global warming presented by Niger, which holds the rotating Security Council presidency. However, to everyone’s surprise, Russia decided to veto this long-awaited text.

Russia does not dispute that climate is changing and that the changes being witnessed may spur conflicts, but the text left the door open for the Council to intervene in local conflicts in the name of global climate change [1]. In fact, this text would have annihilated the sovereignty of States.

India underscored the importance of its commitment to environmental protection so as to better denounce the Western stance and support Russia.

This proposal was drafted by Ireland, updating a text that was put forward by Germany last year, but never voted on. Over the previous months, the United States had succeeded in securing the support of 113 out the 193 UN member states.

[1] “Vassily Nebenzia veto the UNSC draft resolution on climate and security”, by Vasily Nebenzya, Voltaire Network, 13 December 2021.