The speed and scale of climate change presents unique and potentially monumental security implications for individuals, future generations, international institutions and states. Long-dominant security paradigms and policies may no longer be appropriate for dealing with these new security risks of the Anthropocene. In response to this phenomenon, this book investigates how states have reacted to these new challenges and how their different understandings of the climate-security nexus might shape global actions on. It focuses on the perceptions, framings, and policies of climate security by members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the world's highest ranking multilateral security forum.
Empirically, the book presents detailed, bottom-up case studies from local authors of every UNSC member state in 2020 and beyond. It combines this with an innovative theoretical approach spanning traditional, human and ecological security that helps to capture the complex dynamics of state-led approaches to dealing with security in the Anthropocene. This book therefore offers readers a compelling picture of climate-security politics in the UNSC beyond Council debates and resolutions. By comparing and contrasting how different framings of climate security impact various policy sectors of members states, the authors are able to assess the barriers and opportunities for addressing climate security globally and locally.
Author(s): Judith Nora Hardt, Cameron Harrington, Franziskus von Lucke, Adrien Estève, Nick P. Simpson
Series: The Anthropocene: Politik―Economics―Society―Science, 33
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 399
City: Cham
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction: A Framework for Assessing Climate Security
1.1 Climate Security in the Anthropocene
1.2 Genealogy of the Climate-Security Nexus
1.3 Climate Security in the United Nations Security Council
1.4 Theoretical Framework and Methodology of the Book
References
2 The Rise of Belgium as a Multilateral Climate-Security Actor: Analysis of Evolving Climate and Security Policies (2009–2021)
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Different Security Perceptions in Belgium
2.2.1 Ecological Security
2.2.2 Human Security
2.2.3 National Security
2.2.4 Intermediate Conclusions on Security Perceptions in Belgium
2.3 Responses to the Political and Institutional Impacts of Climate-Security Perceptions in Belgium
2.3.1 Building Climate Adaptation at the National Level to Limit Climate Threats
2.3.2 Investing in Development Cooperation and Capacity Building to Limit the Security “Domino Effect”
2.4 Involving the United Nations Security Council to Initiate a Multilateral Climate-Security Response
2.5 Conclusion
References
3 Climate Security in China: An Issue for Humanity Rather Than the Nation
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Arena of High Politics: Political Line Formation on the Climate
3.3 The Arena of Security Concepts: Human rather than National Security
3.4 The Arena of State Bureaucracy: Development and Impacts
3.4.1 The Arena of Climate Bureaucracy: Increasing in Prominence
3.4.2 The Arena of Five Year Plans: Adaptation, Mitigation, but not Security
3.5 The Military Arena: Disaster Relief
3.6 The Arena of Civil Society and Expert Communities: Raising Awareness
3.7 The Arena of the UNSC: From Overall Opposition to Recognition of the Issue for Some
3.8 Conclusions: An Issue for Humanity, not China’s National Security
References
4 Dominican Republic: Security Perspective from Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Policies
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Climate Change as a Threat to Human Security: Integrating Climate Change into Key Laws and Risk Management Strategies
4.3 Climate Change as a Threat to Ecological Security: Strengthening Environmental Protection and Mitigation Policies
4.3.1 Ecological Security in Domestic Politics
4.4 The Dominican Republic’s Engagement in the International Climate Regime from an Integrated Approach of Human and Ecological Security
4.5 Climate Change as a Threat to National Security and the Dominican Republic’s Role in the UNSC
4.6 Conclusion
References
5 Securitisation of Climate Change in Estonia: Widening Security Concepts in National Strategies and Foreign Policy Activities
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Dynamics of Climate Change in Public Opinion and Threat Perceptions
5.3 Ecological Security, Environment Protection and Climate Change
5.3.1 Construction of Rail Baltica
5.3.2 Development of Wind Turbine Generation Systems
5.4 Evolution of National Security Concepts and the Climate Change Agenda
5.4.1 Emergence of Climate Change in National Security Strategies
5.5 Energy Transition as the Main Concern of National Security
5.6 Human Security – Economic Transformation of the Ida-Viru Industrial Region
5.7 International Impact on Climate Change Securitisation in Estonia
5.8 Estonia’s Climate Security Agenda at the UNSC
5.9 Conclusion
References
6 Preventing and Managing Climate Risks: France’s Approach to Climate Security
6.1 Introduction
6.2 National Security Perceptions and Policy Answers
6.2.1 Discourses on Climate Change and National Security Risks
6.2.2 Policy Responses
6.3 Human Security Perceptions and Policy Responses
6.3.1 Discourses on Climate Change and Human Security Risks
6.3.2 Policy Responses
6.4 Ecological Security Perceptions and Responses
6.4.1 Discourses on Climate Change and Ecological Security Risks
6.4.2 Policy Responses
6.5 France’s Involvement in UNSC Debates
6.6 Conclusion
References
7 Climate Security Discourses in Germany: The Transformation of Climate Change Towards a Development and Foreign Policy Priority
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Analysing Climate Security Discourses in Germany
7.2.1 From Ecological to Human and International Security
7.2.2 Climate Change as a Risk to the Human Security of Southern Populations
7.2.3 Climate Change as Threatening International Peace and Security
7.3 Political and Institutional Impact: Strengthening Climate Foreign Policy and Risk-Based Climate Development Approaches
7.3.1 Climate Security in the Development Sector: Towards a Riskification of Climate Change in the Global South
7.3.2 Climate Security in the Climate and Energy Sector: The Importance of Ecological Modernisation and Climate Justice
7.3.3 Climate Security in the Defense Sector: Greening the Military and “Networked Approaches to Security”
7.3.4 Climate Security in the Foreign Policy Sector: The Rise of Climate Diplomacy and Germany’s Efforts as a Non-Permanent Member of the UNSC (2019–2020)
7.4 Conclusions
References
8 The Climate-Security Nexus in Indonesia: A Multitude of Threats and Approaches
8.1 Introduction
8.2 The Dominance of Human Security in Indonesian Domestic Climate Change Discourse
8.2.1 The Widodo Government’s Approach to Climate-Security Relations
8.2.2 Criticisms of the NGOs: What Went Wrong with Widodo’s Human Security and Development Approaches
8.3 The Capital City Move Project and the Climate-Security Debate
8.4 Indonesia’s Climate Position in the UNSC: Balancing Human and Ecological Security
8.5 Conclusion
References
9 Conception, Perception, and Approach to Climate Security in Niger
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Perceptions and Conceptions of Climate Change as a National Security Concern
9.2.1 Traditional Security Sector Acknowledgement and Approach to Climate Change: The Ministry of Defence
9.2.2 Extended Security Sector Perception and Conception of the Impact of Climate Change on National Security: The President and Other Branches of the Government
9.2.3 Evolving Approaches to Climate Security
9.3 Political and Institutional Impacts of the Prevailing Climate Security Perceptions
9.3.1 Niger’s Domestic Politics Concerning the Perceived Security Threat of Climate Change
9.3.2 Niger’s Climate Diplomacy vis-à-vis the Perceived Security Threat of Climate Change
9.3.3 The Focus of Niger’s Climate Diplomacy in the UN and Specifically in the UNSC
9.4 Conclusion
References
10 Climate Change in Security Perceptions and Practices in Russia
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Confluence of Climate Change and Security in Policy Strategies
10.3 The Climate-Security Nexus in Russian Political and Public Discourse
10.3.1 Ambiguity of Domestic Political and Public Discourse
10.3.2 Foreign Policy Discourse and Russia’s Standpoint in the UNSC
10.4 Climate Change in Policies and Practices in Russia
10.4.1 International Climate Policy as a Driver for Domestic Action
10.4.2 Climate Change Adaptation Prioritised over Mitigation
10.5 New Emerging Links between Climate Change and Security
10.5.1 Global Low Carbon Transition as a Threat to National Security
10.5.2 New Security Challenges in the Arctic
10.6 Conclusion and Discussion
References
11 Securing a Climate-resilient Pathway for South Africa
11.1 Introduction
11.2 South Africa’s Underpinning Securitisation Logic
11.3 Climate Change-Security Nexus in South Africa
11.3.1 Climate Change as a Threat to National Security
11.3.2 Perceptions, Strategies and Actors Addressing Climate Change Risk
11.3.3 Extended Security Sector
11.3.4 Non-State Actors: A Whole-of-Society Approach to Dealing with Risk-Based (In)security
11.4 International Action and the UNSC
11.5 Conclusion
References
12 Climate Security and Global Climate Injustice: The Case of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Towards a Conceptualisation of Climate Security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
12.2.1 Climate Change, Food and Water Insecurities
12.2.2 Health Security: Climate Change as a Direct Threat to Lives
12.3 Navigating Climate Security: SVG’s Response and Challenges
12.3.1 Mitigation and Adaptation – Local Responses to Climate Change in SVG
12.3.2 International and Regional Partnership for Dealing with the Security Risks of Climate Change
12.4 The Bigger Picture? Reframing Climate (in) Security as Injustice
12.4.1 Climate Justice in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
12.4.2 New Non-Permanent Member, Same Advocacy: Addressing the Issue of Global Climate Injustice and Climate Insecurity in the UNSC
12.5 Conclusion
References
13 Climate Security Perceptions in Tunisia: Food Security as a Dominant Paradigm
13.1 Introduction
13.2 National Security and Climate Change: A Cautious Approach
13.3 Human Security: A Focus on Food and Water Security
13.4 Ecological Security: Protecting Vulnerable Ecosystems
13.5 Tunisia, Climate Change and the UNSC
13.6 Conclusion
References
14 Climate Change as a “Threat Multiplier”: The Construction of Climate Security by the United Kingdom—2007–2020
14.1 Introduction
14.2 The Early Historical Context: 1989–2008
14.3 Climate Security Discourses in the UK, 2007–2020: Risk and Resilience
14.3.1 Climate Change as a “Threat Multiplier”
14.3.2 Climate Security and the Building of Resilience
14.4 The Political Impact of Climate Security: Perceptions and Institutions
14.4.1 UNSC
14.4.2 Climate Security Actors in the UK Government: Diplomacy, Development, and Defence
14.5 Conclusion
References
15 Climate Security at the UN and in the United States, 2007–2020: The Contradictory Leadership and Silence of the US
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Security Lenses and Shifting Security Conceptions
15.2.1 Human Security
15.2.2 Ecological Security
15.2.3 National Security and Climate Change
15.3 Depoliticising Climate Politics in the US and in the UNSC
15.3.1 American Unpredictability and Misinformation
15.3.2 The Trump Administration and Silence Around Climate Change
15.4 Post-2017 Reframing & Policy Response
15.4.1 Denial and Disinformation in the US
15.5 UN Security Council
15.6 Conclusion
References
16 The Climate-Security Nexus in Vietnam: Effect on the Pathway to Sustainable Development
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Climate Discourse in Vietnam
16.2.1 Climate Change as a Threat to Peace and International Security
16.2.2 Climate Change as Threat to Development and Human Security
16.3 The Political and Institutional Responses
16.3.1 Climate Security in Foreign Policy
16.3.2 Climate Security: Vietnam and UNSC
16.4 Climate Security: Political Response and Actors
16.4.1 National Legislation on Climate Change
16.4.2 National Defence Force
16.4.3 Intra-Governmental Cooperation
16.4.4 Non-Governmental Actors and their Contributions
16.5 Conclusion
References
17 Climate Security at a Crossroads: The Evolution and Future of Climate Security in the United Nations Security Council and its Member States
17.1 Climate Security is a Contested and Politicised Concept
17.2 States Perceive Different Types of Climate Security Threats
17.3 States have Different Types of Climate Security Responses – National, Human, and Ecological Security
17.4 Quo Vadis Climate Security? Critically Exploring the Practical and Theoretical Implications of Linking Climate Change to Security
17.5 Concluding Remarks and Outlook: Future Transformation and Implications
References
About the Editors
About the Chapter Authors
