Securitising Climate Change in the European Union: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Discursive Strategies and Policy Implications

This study investigates the role of language and discursive strategies in constructing and legitimizing truth claims about climate change as a security issue within the European Union (EU), focusing on European Parliament decisions and key Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) documents. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative computational linguistic techniques with qualitative critical discourse analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of how climate change is framed as a security threat in the EU's CFSP and its implications for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The findings reveal an increased emphasis on security implications of climate change, a higher focus on the relationship between climate change and security, and a shift in focus from topics such as migration, energy, and economic issues to human and environmental aspects, as well as defence and regional issues. The study also highlights the interconnectedness of securitisation and riskification framings in constructing climate change as a security issue within CFSP policy documents. These insights contribute to existing literature on climate change securitisation, critical discourse analysis, and policy-making within the EU context. The research underscores the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to address climate change-related security risks, prioritizing actions that address both direct impacts of climate change on ecosystems and societies, enhancing collaboration with various stakeholders, and developing policies that encompass a wide range of strategies for mitigation and adaptation efforts.