New research from an international group of academics claims to have established a definitive causal path from climate change to violent conflict and in turn migration. Academics from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the University of East Anglia (UEA) found that climatic conditions, by affecting drought severity and the likelihood of armed conflict, played a significant role as an explanatory factor for asylum seeking in the period 2011–2015.

To coincide with the Planetary Security Conference (PSC) 2019, the worldwide interactive debate series HagueTalks will host and livestream a conversation on achieving national and international action on climate security on the evening of 20 February.

A new version of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace will be launched on 11 February on the SDG Academy Platform. The free 8-week course focuses on the role that natural resources, environmental degradation and climate change play in social conflict and peacebuilding dynamics. 

Climate change returned to the UN Security Council agenda on Friday 25th January, with over 80 member states – including a dozen Ministers – speaking at a full-day debate organised by the current Dominican Republic presidency.

The World Economic Forum 2019 has concluded, with climate change and its policy responses dominating the final day of debate. Environment-related risks also dominated the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) as part of the Global Risks Report 2019 for the third year in a row. The report notes that biodiversity loss in the human food chain is affecting socioeconomic development, with implications for regional security in addition well-being and productivity.

Free Press Unlimited and the Stanley Foundation are bringing regional and local journalists from ten countries together to participate in the Planetary Security Conference 2019. In a four-day programme, the journalists will engage with policymakers and others to report on climate and security topics. They will also share their own perspectives as local journalists experiencing climate impacts first-hand.

New research visualising the contribution of climate stress to rising tensions in the Sahel was launched yesterday by the Igarapé Institute and Earthtime.org in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It coincided with a session on ‘Ending Violence in the Sahel’ at the World Economic Forum 2019 in Davos, featuring Igarapé Director Robert Muggah and ICRC President Peter Maurer.

On Friday 25th January 2019, the UN Security Council will hold an open debate addressing the impacts of climate-related disasters on international peace and security (at 4pm CET and 10am EST). President Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic will chair the meeting, which will also include the participation of several member states at ministerial level.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has published a new report on the geopolitical implications of the global energy transformation driven by renewables, which argues the transition is likely to diffuse power and reduce energy-related conflict.