This SSR Backgrounder addresses the importance of climate change as one of the most serious crises of our time.

It first explains how climate change is a driver of increased insecurity and conflict and a risk multiplier. Due to cascading impacts upon all areas of human life, it jeopardizes attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has serious implications for the UN’s Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace agenda. Climate change also has impacts on the security and defence sectors, which already act as “first responders” in climate emergencies and make their own contributions to climate warming.

The Backgrounder outlines how the security sector can contribute to addressing the climate crisis and how climate change may eventually (re)shape its work and operational environment. A lack of preparedness and strategic planning on climate change will not only affect the capacity of security providers to operate but will also diminish state capacity to deliver human and conventional security.

Finally, the Backgrounder provides food for thought on how good SSG can contribute to mitigating, adapting, and responding to climate change and how climate actions can be mainstreamed in the SSR framework.   

A lack of preparedness and strategic planning on climate change will not only affect the capacity of security providers to operate but will also diminish state capacity to deliver human and conventional security