The UN Security Council will discuss climate change on April 17, marking the first time this topic has been included in the agenda of a body focused on war and peace. Britain pushed for this debate, believing that climate change could worsen traditional conflict triggers. British UN ambassador Emyr Jones Parry emphasized the importance of addressing this issue for global security. Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett will lead the debate, a rare occurrence for the Security Council. Other countries have been invited to send their foreign ministers to participate in the discussion as well. In March, Britain announced its plan to address climate change in the Security Council, but approval was needed from all 15 members, including the five permanent members with veto power. China and Russia, both permanent members, expressed some opposition to holding the debate, while the United States, not a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, had no objections. Prime Minister Tony Blair and former secretary of state for environment, Beckett, have been leading efforts against global warming in various international forums, such as the EU, which recently agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. In anticipation of potential opposition from some UN member states who believe climate change should be dealt with by the General Assembly or environmental agencies, Britain circulated a concept paper arguing that climate change could lead to conflicts, border changes, energy supply disruptions, and mass migrations. The paper identifies six key areas in which global security could be impacted by climate change: border disputes, migration, energy supplies, resource shortages, societal stress, and humanitarian crises. The melting ice and rising sea levels could change the world's physical landscape, potentially affecting political and maritime borders. Mass migration may also occur, with projections suggesting that as many as 200 million people could be displaced by the middle of the century.