Resource security was a major focus of the 46th Munich Security Conference held in early February. Although the discussions reflected largely traditional perspectives on this challenge, a comprehensive understanding of the nature of future security risks prevailed among most of the keynote speakers: Catherine Ashton, the new EU foreign minister, emphasised that "Wider issues also affect the security of our citizens: energy, climate change and the competition for natural resources, illegal migration and human trafficking." U.S. National Security Advisor, James L. Jones, further added risks like the spread of cyber attacks, economic instability or pandemic diseases to this list. With respect to the challenge of climate change he even considered the Copenhagen summit as a hopeful signal that major economies accepted their responsibility to take action—an opinion not necessarily shared among commentators of the December climate summit.

From the beginning of the conference a discussion panel with high ranking representative from energy producing countries and energy supply companies tried to get to the core of resource security. Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan, stressed the importance of his country’s stable political relations with investors and energy companies. Due to relations built on trust the wealth of his country has increased significantly: today, the revenues from energy exports account for more than half of the gross national product of Azerbaijan. Potential risks associated with a one-sided focus of the national economy on one export sector, however, were not part of the debate. Juergen Grossmann, Chief Executive Officer of the energy supply company RWE, also emphasised the relevance of stable relationships between energy producing and consuming countries, from a company perspective. Alternative energy pathways to global energy security, for example through the massive expansion of renewable energies, were not discussed as a viable option during the security talks in Munich. RWE in fact is part of the DESERTEC initiative, which hopes to establish a transmission grid between Europe and North Africa to import energy produced by concentrated solar power plants in Northern Africa deserts. However, in order to discuss such sunny prospects, which also entail some security implications, the group of participants in Munich needs to be further expanded beyond traditional thinkers. (Dennis Taenzler)

For further information on the Munich Security conference including speeches by the panellist and summaries of the panels, please see http://www.securityconference.de/



For more information on the DESERTEC Initiative, please see  http://www.desertec.org/

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, February 2010