At the Planetary Security Conference (PSC) of 2017, holds under the theme of moving from analysis to action, Louise Van Schaik, PSC Project Lead & Senior research fellow at the Clingendael Institute, addresses the practical challenges of the nexus of climate, migration and security for future policies. What does climate change mean for migration and security in fragile areas of the world? How could those factors further impact on Europe?

The African Union (AU) dedicated the 774th meeting of its Peace and Security Council (PSC) on 21 May 2018, to an open session on “The link Between Climate Change and Conflicts in Africa and Addressing the Security Implications”. The Council highlighted the linkage between climate change and peace and security in Africa and that climate change is a threat to global peace and security.

In order to force greater commitment to the EU’s 2030 emission targets, ten families from inside and outside Europe initiated a people’s Climate Case. Beyond judicial, political and economic implications this case considerably demonstrates the planetary character of climate change consequences – seeing families from places as different as Fiji, France, Germany or Kenia alike facing similar kind of related challenges.

In a historic vote adopted unanimously on the 24 May 2018, the UN Security Council recognized for the first time that armed conflict and violence are closely linked to food insecurity and the risk of famine currently threatening millions of people.

By 2050, the UN estimates that 70 percent of the global population will be living in urban areas. Therefore, understanding and anticipating the ability of cities to manage and avoid the negative effects of climate-related changes and events is of utmost importance. This paper presents a conceptual framework to quantify the climate resilience of cities to guide policymakers and community leaders in identifying challenges and opportunities.

A new publication by the UK-based Grantham Institute unravels the scientific contestation regarding the (causal) relationship between climate change and conflict. It points to the divergence among the natural and social sciences and across different sectors, which results in highly fragmented and contested evidence linking climate change, low carbon transition and conflicts.