2024 shattered records as the warmest year ever recorded, while climate-related disasters inflicted a staggering $297 billion in economic damage. The far-reaching impacts of climate change are already being felt across societies and economies worldwide—and these effects are set to intensify in the coming years. Countries plagued by political instability are particularly vulnerable, with weak states, unaccountable elites, and economic turmoil making them even more susceptible to the ravages of a changing climate. This has sparked growing concerns that climate change will not only fuel armed conflict but also exacerbate terrorism and lead to state failure globally. UN experts and scholars have already connected climate change to violent conflicts in regions like Mali, the Philippines, and Syria.

This panel will bring together leading scholars and policy experts to delve into the complex links between climate change, conflict, and political instability. They will examine how climate change can trigger violence and deepen fragility, explore where and when these risks are most acute, and discuss how we can foster climate-resilient peace in the 21st century.

This is a hybrid event held at One Birdcage Walk

Register here for in-person or virtual attendance

Agenda:

15:00 – 15:05:     Welcome and XCEPT introduction

15:05 – 16:30:     Presentation and discussion  

16:30 – 17:00:     Snacks and networking for in-person attendees 

Speakers:

Prof Tobias Ide – Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Murdoch University Perth and Specially Appointed Professor of Peace and Sustainability at Hiroshima University. He has published numerous articles on environmental security, climate conflicts, and environmental peacebuilding. He has also consulted policy makers like NATO, the UN, and the World Bank on these topics. Currently, Tobias Ide is the XCEPT Climate Conflict Research Fellow.

Prof Ayesha Siddiqi – Associate Professor in Human Geography at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on the lived experience of people living with climate related disasters and insecurity and conflict in the non-Western world. Ayesha is author of the book In the Wake of Disaster: Islamists, the State and a Social Contract in Pakistan published by Cambridge University Press. She has done substantial work on the interface of policy and academia including for the UK’s Houses of Parliament and various donors agencies. Her research spans different geographies covering Pakistan, The Philippines, Colombia and Peru.

Svenja Wolter – Advisor and trainer on climate security and environmental peacebuilding. At International Alert, she works on programming in climate, natural resources and peacebuilding, supporting country teams on project management, analysis, training, and MEL. Prior to that, Svenja worked as Head of Regional Office in Cali, Colombia for the Peace Mission of the Organisation of American States. She has 10 years of experience in training on topics including conflict management, environmental peacebuilding, gender peace and security and conflict sensitivity. Svenja is a mediator by training and holds a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University.