Support to Improve Knowledge about Climate-related Peace and Security Risks

To enhance our understanding of the impacts of climate-related peace and security risks, we need more knowledge and facts. Norway has initiated several research and analytical activities to this aim.

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Nupi) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) are collaborating on a Climate-related Peace and Security Risks project that is aimed at backstopping the work of Norway during their period as an elected member of the Security Council. The project is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 2023.

The primary objective is to generate reliable, relevant, timely and actionable information and analysis on climate-related peace, security and development risks relating to specific countries and regions on the UN Security Council agenda.

The project will also stimulate global networking among researchers and policymakers through a series of dialogues, and it also aims to establish a Nordic and Baltic Climate, Peace and Security Network.

Piloting climate and security risk assessments

Norway has also provided support to “Weathering Risk” which is a three year, multilateral pilot project led by adelphi and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The project has set up an international, interdisciplinary partnership of world leading institutions to assess and track a broad range of socioeconomic, biophysical and political impacts of climate change, their interaction, as well as possible entry points for political and preventive action.

Over three years, the programme will develop and pilot an approach to conducting climate security risk assessments at different scales and across different contexts, use this approach to identify global trends in and entry points to address climate security risks, and develop bespoke support tools for specific user needs.

The data generated through these activities will also provide reliable information and analysis of climate-related security and development risks for the wider community, including but not limited to diplomats, policy makers, practitioners as well as researchers working on climate mitigation and adaptation.