The UN Security Council and Climate Change
Publisher: Security Council Report
Date: 2021
Topics: Climate Change, Governance, Peace and Security Operations, Programming
While climate mitigation and adaptation measures are within the purview of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and contributions to such measures are outlined in the Paris Agreement, many Security Council members view climate change as a security threat worthy of the Council’s attention. Other members do not. One of the difficulties in considering whether or not the Council should play a role (and a theme of this report) is that there are different interpretations of what is appropriate for the Security Council to do in discharging its Charter-given mandate to maintain international peace and security.
The report explores the above-mentioned themes in the following sections:
- The first section briefly analyses whether the Council is an appropriate venue to address climate-security matters.
- The second section looks to the UN Charter and Security Council and General Assembly practice for guidance on Council involvement on climate change and security matters.
- The third section outlines the ways in which the Council has engaged on this issue in meetings and in formal outcomes. It also describes the institutional mechanisms that have been established to help the Council and the UN more broadly to address climate-related security threats in a more consistent and impactful manner.
- The fourth section discusses Security Council dynamics on climate change and security.
- The fifth section offers some observations on the Council’s approach to climate and security matters and presents options for the way forward.