What Next for Climate Security? Implications From IPCC Working Group II 6th Assessment Report

Apr 11, 2022 | Elisabeth Gilmore, Halvard Buhaug, and Helen Adams
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The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6^th Assessment Report (AR6) from Working Group II (WG2): Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability presents the stark implications of climate change. Some impacts, like those on sensitive ecosystems, are already irreversible. The more vulnerable are hit harder, due to pre-existing structural conditions that increase their exposure and sensitivity to hazards. 

Here, we draw out the key points from AR6 WG2 about reducing risks related to climate security. The report finds that climate change is deepening existing conflicts by undermining adaptive capacity and increasing vulnerability. Moderating these impacts requires reducing the human consequences of conflict through investments in human development and livelihood security.

Any climate security agenda should also move beyond securitizing climate change towards aligning security policies with actions that reduce risks to peace. Preventing violent conflicts should remain our top priority. The IPCC report is clear: ambitious mitigation action is central to keeping all risks manageable. These actions must also be structured such that new conflict risks are not introduced, especially through land-based mitigation efforts in areas with insecure land tenure. Key opportunities also exist to improve the integration of existing resolutions, such as the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the participation of women in peace and security efforts, with related efforts to foster climate, conflict, and security.