Shaping Safer and Resilient Cities: Launch of Policy Brief on Urban Climate Peace and Security

Matti Lehtonen, UN Environment (UNEP)/Climate Security Mechanism (Finland/United States)

Climate peace and security frameworks have thus far largely ignored the specificities of urban environments. In the face of rapid urbanization as well as city-specific disaster and conflict risks, it is timely to develop frameworks and tools that explicitly address the climate-security nexus in an urban environment. Based on a series of consultations and dialogues co-hosted by Climate Security Mechanism at the UN, adelphi, and the Environmental Peacebuilding Association in the Fall of 2025, a Climate Security Mechanism Policy Brief was developed to fill the conceptual gap and foster a solutions-based conversation on drafted that reflects priority themes, approaches, and good practices to guide future involvement in urban areas. This roundtable convenes authors and discussants of the Policy Brief on ‘Urban Climate Peace and Security’ to introduce its main ideas, solicit further comments, and explore pathways for further action.