What is the format of the event?

The event is presented as a conference focusing on the intersection of climate change and security policy.

Når klimaendringer blir sikkerhetspolitikk

Name: Når klimaendringer blir sikkerhetspolitikk
Start: 2027-03-13T00:00:00Z
End: 2027-03-13T00:00:00Z
Location: Oslo

Mar 13, 2027Oslo, NorwayIn-person

Registration open

The event "Når klimaendringer blir sikkerhetspolitikk" is scheduled to take place in Oslo, Norway. This gathering focuses on the intersection of climate change and security policy, highlighting how environmental shifts are increasingly influencing global and regional security landscapes. It examines the transition of climate concerns from purely environmental issues to central components of national and international security agendas.

Committees & topics

Security Council
Climate Change as a Threat to International Peace and Security · Maintenance of International Peace and Security

Why it matters

The nexus of climate change and security policy is a critical area of contemporary international relations. As global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, their impacts extend beyond environmental degradation to encompass geopolitical stability, resource scarcity, and population displacement. This event provides a platform to analyze these complex interdependencies, offering insights into how climate-induced challenges can exacerbate existing conflicts or create new ones.

Understanding this dynamic is crucial for policymakers, security analysts, and international organizations. It necessitates a re-evaluation of traditional security paradigms to incorporate environmental factors, fostering a more holistic approach to peace and stability. The discussions at this event will contribute to a deeper comprehension of how nations and international bodies can proactively address these emerging threats, develop resilient strategies, and promote cooperative solutions to mitigate the security implications of a changing climate.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the discussions at this event, participants should consider familiarizing themselves with the concept of "climate security" and its various dimensions. This includes understanding how climate change acts as a threat multiplier, impacting food and water security, migration patterns, and political stability across different regions. Reviewing case studies where climate impacts have contributed to security challenges would be beneficial.

Attendees could also prepare by considering the diverse perspectives of various countries on climate security. For instance, how do countries with significant coastlines or agricultural dependencies perceive these threats differently from those with more stable geographies? Reflecting on the potential for international cooperation and conflict in addressing these shared challenges will enhance participation in the event's dialogues.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Norway

As a high-latitude country with significant Arctic interests, Norway is particularly attuned to the security implications of climate change, including changes in shipping routes and resource access.

Role in topic

Norway is actively involved in international climate diplomacy and security discussions, often advocating for a comprehensive approach that integrates climate considerations into foreign and security policy. Its Arctic region is a focal point for understanding the geopolitical shifts driven by climate change.

Russia

Russia views climate change in the Arctic as both a challenge and an opportunity, particularly concerning new shipping lanes and resource extraction, while also managing potential security risks.

Role in topic

Russia's extensive Arctic coastline makes it a key player in the region's climate-induced transformations. Its approach balances economic interests in Arctic development with strategic security considerations, including military presence and infrastructure development in the changing environment.

China

China recognizes the global security implications of climate change, particularly regarding resource scarcity and stability in regions vital to its economic interests.

Role in topic

As a major global power, China's perspective on climate security is shaped by its vast population, economic development needs, and growing international influence. It participates in global climate initiatives while also securing its resource supply chains and managing potential climate-induced instability in partner countries.

United States

The United States acknowledges climate change as a national security threat, impacting military operations, global stability, and humanitarian aid requirements.

Role in topic

The United States integrates climate change into its national security assessments and defense strategies. Its military is increasingly focused on adapting to climate impacts and contributing to international efforts to address climate-related security risks, including disaster response and humanitarian assistance.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu, as a small island developing state, faces existential threats from climate change, including sea-level rise and extreme weather, directly impacting its national security.

Role in topic

Vanuatu is at the forefront of advocating for international action on climate change, particularly regarding loss and damage, and is a vocal proponent for recognizing climate change as a fundamental security issue for vulnerable nations. Its experience highlights the direct link between climate impacts and national survival.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Security Council

Climate Change as a Threat to International Peace and Security

The Security Council first held an open debate on the security implications of climate change in 2007 under the UK presidency, and has returned to the topic repeatedly since — including the 2011 presidential statement recognizing possible adverse effects of climate change, and the 2021 Irish-Nigerien draft resolution that would have mainstreamed climate-security risk into UN conflict prevention. That draft was vetoed by Russia, with India voting against and China abstaining, exposing a durable cleavage on whether the Council is the appropriate forum for climate action at all. Proponents argue that climate stress acts as a 'threat multiplier' — accelerating drought, displacement, resource competition and state fragility in places like the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Lake Chad Basin and small island states. Skeptics counter that climate belongs in the UNFCCC and General Assembly, and warn against expanding Chapter VII logic into development policy. Since 2021 the debate has shifted from whether climate is a security issue to how the Council should operationalize it. UN missions in Somalia, Mali, and the Central African Republic have integrated climate-security advisors, and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs runs a joint Climate Security Mechanism with UNDP and UNEP. Small island developing states, led by Pacific members and the Caribbean, have pushed the Council to recognize sea-level rise as an existential security threat, a theme reinforced by the 2023 ITLOS advisory opinion and the 2024 ICJ advisory proceedings on climate obligations. The core dispute today is whether the Council will adopt a thematic resolution embedding climate risk into mandate renewals, sanctions regimes, and early-warning systems — or whether the issue remains confined to open debates and arria-formula meetings.

Key players

Security Council

Maintenance of International Peace and Security

The Council's Charter mandate under Article 24 to maintain international peace and security is under unprecedented strain. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 produced the first case in which a P5 member was the subject of a Council draft resolution it then vetoed, prompting the General Assembly's adoption of the 'veto initiative' (Resolution 76/262) requiring automatic GA debate after any veto. The war in Gaza since October 2023, repeated US vetoes of ceasefire resolutions, and the protracted paralysis on Syria, Myanmar and Sudan have intensified questions about Council legitimacy and the relationship between the P5 and the wider membership. The Uniting for Peace mechanism, dormant for decades, has effectively been revived. Beyond specific files, the thematic agenda on peace and security has broadened to include cyber operations against critical infrastructure, the weaponization of food and energy, private military companies, and the protection of humanitarian and medical personnel. The 2024 Pact for the Future committed member states to Security Council reform — including expanded African representation — though concrete negotiations on categories of membership and the veto remain stalled in the Intergovernmental Negotiations framework. For delegates, the central tension is how a Council designed in 1945 manages overlapping crises in 2026 while its own composition and decision rules are openly contested by the membership it is meant to serve.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Når klimaendringer blir sikkerhetspolitikk.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Arming an archipelago: Is time running out for Europe's oldest DMZ? | Euronews

Comprehensive approach to security: Federal Council launches consultation on Switzerland's security policy strategy

Europe's June Heatwave: Infrastructure Crisis

Georgia Considers Position in New South Caucasus Transit Era - Jamestown

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Dynamic Analysis

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Når klimaendringer blir sikkerhetspolitikk

Mar 13, 2027Oslo, NorwayIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Security Council
Climate Change as a Threat to International Peace and Security · Maintenance of International Peace and Security

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Norway

As a high-latitude country with significant Arctic interests, Norway is particularly attuned to the security implications of climate change, including changes in shipping routes and resource access.

Role in topic

Russia

Russia views climate change in the Arctic as both a challenge and an opportunity, particularly concerning new shipping lanes and resource extraction, while also managing potential security risks.

Role in topic

China

China recognizes the global security implications of climate change, particularly regarding resource scarcity and stability in regions vital to its economic interests.

Role in topic

United States

The United States acknowledges climate change as a national security threat, impacting military operations, global stability, and humanitarian aid requirements.

Role in topic

Vanuatu

Vanuatu, as a small island developing state, faces existential threats from climate change, including sea-level rise and extreme weather, directly impacting its national security.

Role in topic