Iceland has classified the potential collapse of a major Atlantic current system as a national security threat, citing new scientific warnings that such a change could radically alter the country’s climate and economy. Officials say the risk represents an “existential” challenge that demands a coordinated, top-level response.
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Iceland has taken the rare step of treating a climate-linked ocean threat as a matter of national survival, launching a coordinated government response to one of the most feared potential tipping points in the climate system.
Officials say the shift reflects mounting evidence that a key Atlantic current system could be heading toward dangerous instability.
Security shift in Reykjavík
According to CNN, Iceland’s National Security Council formally labelled the possible collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) a national security risk in September — the first time the country has applied such a designation to a climate impact.
The move followed a government briefing on new research that raised “grave concerns” about the system’s future stability.
Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Iceland’s minister for environment, energy and climate, said the risks extend far beyond weather.
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