WBGU – Discussion Paper No. 3 (June 2025) – SECURITY
Security: What we need to talk about
The tone of interactions between states is becoming harsher; multilateral cooperation is being replaced by bilateral deals; ‘might is right’ is the new watchword. Environmental policy and international cooperation are under pressure. At the same time, less and less attention is being paid to scientific findings in political decision making. How can we avoid losing sight of the goal of sustainable and socially just development worldwide? What can be done to promote security and peace worldwide? What role should Germany and the European Union play?
Sustainability in times of global upheaval Just ten years after the global community passed two international milestones for sustainability by creating the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement, the tide has turned. The rules-based international order is under threat – and socialpolarization processes and political autocratization worldwide are further exacerbating the situation. ‘Digitally empowered totalitarianism’ – described by the WBGU as dystopian in 2019 and characterized by massive inequalities, elite rule, total surveillance, loss of freedom and environmental destruction – has developed into a real threat to liberal democracies faster than feared. New geopolitical and military tensions are emerging, while climate change and ecosystem destruction continue, in some cases with irreversible consequences (WBGU, 2023, 2024). With Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine – in violation of international law – military security and autonomy are becoming
increasingly important for Europe, especially since the transatlantic alliance, which was believed to be stable, has begun to falter. At the same time, anti-democratic, far-right parties and groups are gaining popularity – also in Europe. Against this backdrop, how can we work constructively towards a future that is worth living for all people? What are the prospects for social resilience and agency beyond defence against immediate military threats? What can be the basis for joint action for Europe and especially the EU in the future? What options are available to liberal democracies under pressure from internal division and external threat? What vision of security, peace and sustainability are we striving for in Germany and Europe? The WBGU is currently working on the topic of integrated security and sustainability and would like to raise a number of questions for discussion. They are based on two observations:
> National security and global sustainability are mutually dependent The only security concept that can be successful in the long term is an integrated one that encompasses not only direct protection against war and violence but also the worldwide protection of natural resources – such as the climate and biodiversity – as well as global justice, social cohesion and peace.
> Europe must bolster its ability to act if it is to stand up for common values both internally and externally Only if Europe actively maintains and strengthens the resilience of its democracies will it be able to bring together and secure freedom and the rule of law, equality and the separation of powers, individualism and tolerance, prosperity and environmental protection.