G7 Working Group Meeting on Climate and Fragility in Rome
What will come next for G7 action on climate and fragility? From 25-27 October 2017, G7 representatives will gather in Rome to discuss pathways to manage the climate-fragility nexus, and exchange views on climate-related issues such as food security, involuntary migration and land resources. adelphi will convene a targeted workshop on the design of the new G7 risk assessment on Lake Chad and steps to respond to the crisis in the region.
The G7 foreign ministries have been at the forefront of putting climate-fragility risks on the global agenda. After commissioning the independent report “A New Climate for Peace: Taking Action on Climate and Fragility Risks” in 2013, they formed a working group to follow up on the recommendations in the report and met in April 2016 in Japan and in April 2017 in Italy to reiterate their commitment to integrate climate-fragility considerations into their planning.
Since then, the G7 Working Group on Climate and Fragility has been an important hub on climate and security–an issue which currently lacks an institutional home. The working group suggested conducting a risk assessment in a priority region to understand the full conflict cycle in a specific region and to develop predictive tools to integrate climate change into the analysis of future situations of fragility, instability and security threats.
Lake Chad Basin: a region of shared interest and concern of the G7
The Lake Chad Basin was identified by all G7 members as a region of shared interest and concern, and hence links to the G7 Working Group’s agenda. The state of emergency around the Lake Chad Basin that currently affects more than 10 million people is a prime example of a multi-faceted crisis, in which climate change interacts with other pressures, such as poverty and marginalization, and thereby contributes to violent conflict and the proliferation of terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
The planned G7 risk assessment project is partly designed to build upon on-going national processes such as the French “Lake Chad Initiative” and to ‘conflict-sensitize’ and climate-proof funding and programmes stemming from the humanitarian conference on Lake Chad in Oslo in February 2017. In Rome from 25-27 October 2017, the working group will refine the research design and prepare its implementation.
Review workshop convened by adelphi
At the inception meeting on 25 October, convened by adelphi, G7 members, donors and partner organizations – ranging from representatives of USAID, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European External Action Service and the German Federal Foreign Office – will review the project’s analytical framework, discuss the methodology and brief each other on current engagements in the region.
After the G7 energy ministers failed to agree on a statement supporting the Paris Agreement at their summit in April 2017, the G7 ministers of agriculture – including Donald Trump’s secretary for agriculture – signed a communiqué last Sunday recognising climate change threatens global food supply. The G7 Working Group on Climate and Fragility now has the opportunity to follow suit and show commitment to increase climate resilience in fragile states.
Full infographic on the G7’s work on climate and fragility.
The Twitter accounts @adelphi_berlin and @ClimateDiplo and the hashtag #LakeChad will help you stay up-to-date with the developments in the Lake Chad region and with the progress of the G7 Lake Chad Risk Assessment Project.
2nd Climate Diplomacy Week 2018 - Highlights
Climate Diplomacy Week is a perfect opportunity to highlight positive climate action, set new goals and engage more and new actors in the fight against the devastating impacts of climate change. Each year, the week has its own character. Climate Diplomacy Week 2018, from 24-30 September, was marked by action – throughout the world, civil society participated in inspiring educational activities and engaged the wider public in the climate cause.
Canada and EU add climate clause to trade pact
In a move that underscored Donald Trump’s isolation on trade and climate change, the two major economies inserted a reference to the Paris Agreement into Ceta.
Fourteen Latin American and Caribbean countries made history at the UN General Assembly on September 27 by signing the Escazú Agreement, a regional accord on public participation and access to information and justice in environmental affairs. It is the first region-wide agreement of its kind and has been touted a big step forward in recognising the rights of environmental defenders. Signatories now need to ratify the Agreement internally before it can enter into force.
Is SAARC prepared to combat climate change and its security risks?
Though India is now pushing for BIMSTEC, geography dictates that it cannot ignore SAARC. South Asia is extremely vulnerable to a range of climate impacts, ranging from shrinking glaciers and water scarcity to floods and rising sea levels. Responding to these risks is a complex task, also because often impacts affect more than one country and their severity exceeds the capacity of national governments. Climate change creates new challenges for regional organisations, and simultaneously increases their relevance.