adelphi

adelphi will hold four roundtables in major European cities to better understand the future landscape of climate diplomacy in a time where populists agitate against the globalized world – be it migration, the free flow of goods, of information, or institutions of international cooperation.

Populists agitate against the globalized world – be it migration, the free flow of goods, of information, or institutions of international cooperation. Yet, climate change and sustainable development – among many other topics – are challenges that cannot be tackled by any single country alone. The Western world finds itself at a crossroads – with political drawbridges rising – and time is running short for the international community to develop a coherent strategy in the fight against climate change.

Berlin, Brussels, London, Paris - climate diplomacy in times of populism in focus

What are the implications for climate diplomacy resulting from the rise of populism in Europe? What will the consequences be of a new US president with an agenda that does not recognize the realities of a changing climate? How can climate and energy policy strengthen the vision for the EU? How will Brexit impact climate and energy policy and cooperation in Europe, and the EU’s leadership role in climate negotiations? What impact will the elections in Germany and France have on energy relations?

In order to find answers to these and other questions, adelphi will hold four roundtables in major European cities to better understand the future landscape of climate diplomacy and energy relations given changing international political circumstances. adelphi partners with the Institute for European Studies in Brussels, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris, and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College in London. The series Drawbridges up, climate policy down - decarbonization without leadership? is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. Each of the roundtables will address a specific theme, namely:

  • The Future of Decarbonization and EU Cooperation (Brussels)
  • Implications for Climate Policy and Ambitions (London)
  • Implications for International Climate Negotiations (Paris)
  • Implications for the Climate Science-Policy Interface (Berlin)

adelphi and our partner institutions will summarize the key findings from the four-part discussion series in a single policy brief that will be disseminated to policy-makers. A public discussion will take place during this year’s Climate Diplomacy Week (19-25 June) in Berlin.

Keep yourself updated by following us on Twitter: @ClimateDiplo.


At a briefing ahead of the COP25, foreign minister Heiko Maas called for higher ambition for the European Union, which should act as a role-model to encourage other states to boost their commitments to climate action. He further reiterated the importance of supporting multilateralism and an international climate regime that is able to withstand setbacks, such as the US withdrawal of the Paris Agreement.

Climate Change
Early Warning & Risk Analysis
Global Issues
adelphi

Climate change is increasingly challenging global security and undermining peacebuilding efforts. UN Environment and the European Union have joined forces to address these challenges. With the support of adelphi, they have developed a toolkit on ‘Addressing climate-fragility risks’. This toolkit facilitates the development and implementation of strategies, policies, and projects that seek to build resilience by linking climate change adaptation, peacebuilding, and sustainable livelihoods, focusing on the pilot countries Sudan and Nepal.

Climate Change
Security
Global Issues
European Security and Defence College (ESDC)

Nobody needs to be convinced that climate change affects our very existence and security. However, experts are interested to know how climate change affects security at a global level and what the EU can do in that regard. This was the main aim of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) Climate Change and Security Course co-organised by the French Institute for Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) and adelphi, as part of the Climate Diplomacy initiative supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, which took place in Brussels from 21 to 23 October 2019.

Climate Change
Security
Sub-Saharan Africa
11 November, 2019

Shoring up Stability in Niger

Stella Schaller, Janani Vivekananda (adelphi) and Oli Brown (Chatham House)

The new study Shoring up Stability demonstrates, for the first time, how climate change interacts with conflict and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region. To launch the report and discuss its findings with local policy-makers, experts and practitioners, the German Embassy in Niger, adelphi and CNESS co-organised a launch event on 24 October in Niamey. Insights from Niger point to the importance of investing in governance rather than technical fixes.