Britain Names Climate Security Envoy as Island Leaders Demand Action

Britain has appointed a special envoy to address security risks from climate change.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the appointment of Madeleine Alessandri on Thursday in Antalya, Turkey.

The move comes as leaders from small island nations warn that rising seas and severe weather are threatening their survival.

The appointment follows a British government assessment from earlier this year.

That assessment warned that ecosystem damage could disrupt food supplies.

It also predicted that such disruptions could fuel conflict and migration.

The report noted that the United Kingdom imports about 40% of its food.

Burnham stated that climate is a national security issue.

He said the crisis is not a distant threat but is currently devastating lives and livelihoods.

Britain plans to prioritize climate resilience during its G20 presidency next year.

Leaders from vulnerable nations described the situation as a life-or-death crisis.

Alix Sebastien Pillay, vice president of Seychelles, spoke on the second day of the summit.', "He said climate action is a fundamental issue for national security and economic stability.', "Pillay noted that Seychelles faces millions of dollars in damage from storms and floods.', "He emphasized that the island contributes few planet-heating gases.', "He argued that the U.N. fund for climate-related loss and damage needs urgent strengthening.', "He warned that recovery must not push vulnerable nations into unsustainable debt.', "Dalton Tagelagi, prime minister of Niue, pointed to El Niño conditions as a warning.', "He said sea temperatures in the central Pacific are more than three degrees above normal.', "Tagelagi called for immediate cuts in emissions.', "An independent report from the Climate Action Tracker found that global warming trends have not slowed in five years.', "The report stated that positive and negative actions have canceled each other out.', "It noted that the world trimmed 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit from warming projections in the first five years after the 2015 Paris Agreement.', "The report said no change has occurred since then.', "Sarah Heck, the report's lead author, said the world is headed toward an irrecoverable overshoot of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.', "If nations fulfill all climate promises, the globe will end the century 4.7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer.', "Heck said this pace matches the trajectory seen in 2024 and 2025.', "She stated that countries need to strengthen their targets.', "Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for real action and solidarity.', "He referenced the 2022 floods that submerged over a third of the country.', "Those floods resulted in thousands of deaths and over $30 billion in damage.', "Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine described fossil fuel expansion as a threat.', "She said every new oil well drilled is a threat to her country's future.', "Heine recalled watching coral go from bright to white with bleaching this year.', "She said the response to passing the 1.5-degree limit must be overwhelming.', "Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley criticized the gap between pledges and payments.', "She said promised pledges are 70% below previous levels.', "Mottley noted that applause has never rebuilt a single home.