Minister of Defence in Vilnius announces Latvia's participation in the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence in Canada

On Wednesday, 12 July, at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Minister of Defence Ināra Mūrniece signed a memorandum on Latvia's participation in the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence, which will be located in Ottawa, Canada.

"Climate change is one of the major challenges that will have a significant impact on all sectors in the years to come. We can also expect to see the impact of climate change on our common security and on NATO. Latvia is aware of these challenges and we welcome Canada's leadership in establishing such a centre and will contribute to the Alliance's resilience to the impacts of climate change," said the Defence Minister.

The Centre will focus on research and practice to help the Alliance and allies adapt and build resilience to the security impacts of climate change, including a particular focus on climate impacts on military operations and the future operating environment. The Centre is also expected to develop and disseminate best practices to reduce the climate and environmental impacts of the military and defence sectors while maintaining operational effectiveness.

The Centre will work closely with the military, various civilian organisations and other NATO Centres of Excellence to fulfil its mission.
To date, a total of 12 countries have confirmed their participation in the Centre - Latvia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. This number is expected to grow over time.

The Centre is scheduled to start operations in October this year and will be fully operational in 2025. Latvia will delegate an expert to work in the Research, Analysis and Lessons Learned Unit.

Contact information
Roberts Skraučs
Head of the Media Relations Section
Military Public Affairs Department
Tel.: 67335393
E-mail: roberts.skraucs@mod.gov.lv