In order to help address escalating violence, UN Environment has launched the UN Initiative for Environmental Defenders. This brief analyses the initiative and looks into how member states can support peace by engaging in environmental diplomacy, with a focus on Brazil.

With COP24 drawing near and widespread concern over underachieved climate targets that threaten the IPCC's 1.5º threshold, all eyes are turning to China. Its actions as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter and as a frontrunner in clean energy are highly important for the international community. The added pressure of climate-unfriendly forces emerging in economies such as Brazil, USA and Australia raises questions as to whether China will be able and willing to take up a central role in climate diplomacy. This issue of China Dialogue brings a series of insights on China’s position to help us navigate the country’s approach in the international climate community, from its relationship with coal energy to water privatisation and biodiversity protection.

Germany will hold a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020, and has announced that climate fragility will be one of its priorities. In a new brief, Susanne Dröge from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) comments on the challenges Germany will face when moving the topic forward. She stresses the importance of connecting the Security Council’s engagement to other climate and development policy processes and fora.

The Climate Change and International Security Resource Guide is produced for the Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy (BDCD) which consists of a series of informal meetings to exchange information and promote cooperation among European institutions and international organisations active in the nexus between climate change and international, national, human and environmental security.