Climate security: making it #Doable

This report reviews the progress made in global and regional organisations on addressing and mitigating climate-related security risks despite the turmoil in global politics at large. It builds on the two previous progress reports for the Planetary Security Initiative (PSI). The report focuses on progress in the UN and in regional intergovernmental organisations, both showcasing achievements and highlighting new challenges. 

Climate risks are multidimensional and they affect, as stressed in the IPCC fifth assessment report in 2014, diverse dimensions of security: human security, critical infrastructure, violent conflicts, and national security and defence policies. The concept of ‘comprehensive security’, which was used in the IPCC fifth assessment report, directs attention towards the multifaceted nature of climate risk and invites examination of how different dimensions of security interact.

This report begins with a brief overview of the state of global climate and climate related impacts in 2018. It then surveys recognition of climate-related security risks in the activities of regional organisations, multilateral institutions and the UN system. Thereafter, the final chapter looks at geopolitical challenges and how efforts to comprehend climate-related security risks can be integrated into multilateral efforts.