In response, Britain issued a joint statement with Spain and France on Wednesday night emphasizing their commitment to combating global warming and preparing for an increase in climate disasters.
After meeting in Madrid on Wednesday, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and his British counterpart Ed Miliband – who served as Britain’s prime minister until recently – described this summer’s fires and extreme heat as “the result of the climate crisis.”
“They agreed that this summer’s wildfires showed that climate change is now a national security emergency facing Europe and threatening our lives,” the statement read.
In a different statementsMiliband and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that “this summer’s wildfires showed the dangers posed to Europe by climate change.”
In both statements, the ministers called for greater domestic and international action to reduce global emissions and combat climate change. They also reiterated their commitment to the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
“Decarbonisation, energy security, environmental protection and stability cannot be separated from our security and the prosperity and competitiveness of our economy,” the UK-Spain statement read.
