Can Climate and Development Goals Align in Fragile States?

Peacekeeping Missions and Renewable Energy Sources

Colombia’s decades-long conflict culminated in the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which included aims to achieve peace through rural reform, reintegration of former combatants, addressing illicit crop cultivation, and ensuring land restitution and voluntary return for displaced individuals. 

Forging ties that will hold in the future

If there has ever been a country where “build back better” applies to the energy system, it is Ukraine. From a heavily centralised, fossil-dependent energy system, Russian attacks now compel Ukraine to continuously undertake short-term decentralised repairs to its energy infrastructure. In order to join the EU and cut its fossil ties with Russia, Ukraine has started to implement a completely revised, much greener and decentralised energy system as part of its reconstruction efforts. 

Opportunities and limitations

Areas beyond government control constitute a highly diverse subgroup of fragile and conflict-affected settings. As a result of conflict and weak governance, many of these areas have become more vulnerable to climate change. Their communities have been left with limited capacity to respond to changing climatic conditions and extreme weather events. These settings pose unique challenges for external engagement and have, therefore, long been overlooked in adaptation efforts. 

Last month, Europe was both under water and on fire. Excessive rainfall brought on by storm Boris resulted in destructive floods in central Europe, whereas long-lasting droughts caused enormous wildfires in Portugal.

The consequences of climate change are disproportionately impacting fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCS).

Europe and India are rapidly embarking on a clean energy transition with the share of renewables skyrocketing in their respective energy mixes. This heightens concerns about dependence on critical raw materials (CRMs), such as cobalt, nickel and graphite, that are needed for renewable energy technologies, and whose supply chains are largely dominated by singular exporters such as China. It is not the case that Europe and India lack reserves of, for instance, lithium, but there are barriers to extracting them, and even if new mining activities are undertaken, it will take time.
 

On the frontlines of climate violence

As a journalist on the climate security beat, Peter Schwartzstein has been chased by kidnappers, badly beaten, detained by police, and told, in no uncertain terms, that he was no longer welcome in certain countries. Yet these personal brushes with violence are simply a hint of the conflict simmering in our warming world.
 

A critical knowledge gap

Cities will play a key role in humanity’s future. More than half  of the world’s population (57 per cent) lived in urban areas in 2022 and the share is projected to reach almost 70 per cent by 2050. Cities already feature in the climate change debate for their carbon footprints and, in many cases, leadership and innovation in the green transition. But they are also uniquely vulnerable to climate change.

Last week, world leaders and defence professionals have met at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington D.C., where they discussed issues such as the war in Ukraine, the Eastern flank, deterrence and innovation. Here is an overview of all the news, events and publications related to climate security that were linked to the Summit.