In a historic moment which appears to be dominated by conflict and instability on one hand, and by the increasingly devastating impact of climate change on the other, connecting the dots among the climate, energy and security dimensions is no longer deferrable. Indeed, the effects of climate change on stability and security need to be at the top of the agenda of the international community; in this sense, initiatives like the COP29 Climate Peace Initiative go in the right direction as they highlight the extreme and urgent relevance of the “climate change, security and peace nexus”.
This particularly applies to the Mediterranean region, where the impact of climate change interacts with pre-existing factors of instability, risking to exacerbate old crises and triggering new ones at a local, national and transnational level, with transregional repercussions. As such, integrating the dimension of climate and taking concrete steps towards building resilience stand as a conditio sine qua non for the promotion of security, stability and development in this macro-region, as well as for the development of an advanced toolkit to address key issues such as food security and migration flows.
During this policy-oriented panel discussion, a diverse panel of experts from national governments, intergovernmental organisations and scientific expert networks will delve into this matter, sharing insights and proposing solutions.
Agenda
Introductory remarks by Giulia Giordano, Director Mediterranean and Global Strategies, ECCO – the Italian Climate Change Think Tank
Panel discussion (10 minutes each) by:
– Sylvie Goyet, Deputy Co-Ordinator, Head of Environmental Activities, OSCE
– Eda Acara, Project Coordinator and Researcher, Istanbul Policy Center (IPC); Coordinating Lead Author of the MedECC Special Report on Environmental changes, conflicts, and human migration (remote)
– Valeria Sinisi, Project Manager for the Mediterranean Dialogue, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
– Yasmine Seghirate, Administrator at the General Secretariat, International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) (remote)
Q&A and Interactive Discussion led by the chair
Wrap Up by Giulia Giordano, Director Mediterranean and Global Strategies, ECCO
