It is the first time the exhibition will be displayed in Beijing for a longer period of time. Organized by the German think-tank adelphi and the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development (CSSD) with support of the German Federal Foreign Office, the exhibition illustrates the growing impact of environmental changes, with respect to China and globally.
The exhibition shows how environmental degradation and resource scarcity can spark conflicts and create security threats. At the same time, it highlights the role that environmental cooperation and sustainable development can play in fostering peace and stability. Both outcomes are possible: increasing conflict or peace and stability. The exhibition thus promotes the importance of cooperative efforts to promote sustainable resources management in the areas of water, livelihoods, natural resources, climate and energy.
A section of the exhibition deals with the specific challenges that China is facing as a result of environmental degradation and climate change. For example, agricultural productivity is estimated to decrease with accelerated desertification, partly a result of climate change. However, the Chinese government has taken important steps to cope with these challenges, transforming its economic structure and development pattern.
This touring exhibition has so far been travelling to and shown in more than 30 cities worldwide, including Jinan, Kunming, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing in China. It is part of a joint climate diplomacy initiative of the German Federal Foreign Office and adelphi, a leading Berlin-based think tank for applied research, policy analysis, and consultancy on global change issues. Activities in China are rolled out in close cooperation with the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development which is part of the Administration Centre for China`s Agenda 21 and founded with the goal of organizing national sustainable development research programs.
For further information, please see also ecc-exhibition.org.
The European Green Deal has made the environment and climate change the focus of EU action. Indeed, climate change impacts are already increasing the pressure on states and societies; however, it is not yet clear how the EU can engage on climate security and environmental peacemaking. In this light, and in the run-up to the German EU Council Presidency, adelphi and its partners are organising a roundtable series on “Climate, environment, peace: Priorities for EU external action in the decade ahead”.
In January 2020, the German Federal Foreign Office launched Green Central Asia, a regional initiative on climate and security in Central Asia and Afghanistan. The aim of the initiative is to support a dialogue in the region on climate change and associated risks in order to foster regional integration between the six countries involved.
Climate change will shift key coordinates of foreign policy in the coming years and decades. Even now, climate policy is more than just environment policy; it has long since arrived at the centre of foreign policy. The German Foreign Office recently released a report on climate diplomacy recognizing the biggest challenges to security posed by climate change and highlighting fields of action for strengthening international climate diplomacy.
A high-level ministerial conference in Berlin is looking at the impact of climate change on regional security in Central Asia. The aim is to foster stronger regional cooperation, improve the exchange of information and form connections with academia and civil society.