Main page content

Berlin Climate and Security Conference 2022: Event Summary

BCSC 2022 Summary

The fourth Berlin Climate and Security Conference (BCSC) 2022 highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation, inclusivity and locally-informed action to weather the risks resulting from interacting climate and conflict pressures. From 11 to 12 October, the climate security community of practice met in Berlin to discuss the most urgent and cutting-edge issues in climate and security today, to launch the Climate for Peace Initiative and elaborate a substantive agenda for implementation of peace positive climate action at local, national and global levels. This document summarises the discussions and the event's key takeaways.

Watch the playlist of livestreamed sessions

This fourth edition of BCSC is entitled Climate – Conflict – Clash of Crises: Weathering the Risks. BCSC 2022 convened high-level political actors, climate security experts and practitioners at the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin on 11-12 October 2022. The Conference addressed climate impacts on peace and stability and its interlinkages with current geopolitical challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, trade and energy security and the looming food crisis.

BCSC’s innovative programme included new and emerging issues and debates, such as how to tackle rising geopolitical tensions linked to climate justice and feminist foreign policy as part of the response to climate security risks. The sessions were designed to be inclusive, engaging and geared towards identifying practical steps to move from theory to action on climate related security risks. The discussions were also informed by the flagship Weathering Risk initiative and its impact-focused Peace Pillar. 

In the wake of various commitments to tackle climate security from international actors from the African Union to NATO, the conference focused on three strategic goals:

  • Establishing informed responses to climate, peace and security as a top priority on international agendas including COP 27
  • Advancing climate and conflict sensitive policies and operations on the ground
  • Connecting people, knowledge and ideas across sectors, regions and disciplines to inform mutual and multilateral approaches

The in-person sessions (11-12 October) were comprised of a mix of political dialogues as well as partner-led, interactive sessions. To ensure broad participation on all levels and from all regions, the first segment was followed by a digital segment (17-20 October) comprised of partner-run webinars and workshops, which brought together the broader climate security community of practice in the days succeeding the in-person conference.

Download the summary

Watch the conference's highlights

By loading the videos you accept the YouTube privacy policy.

 

Related content