ABOUT PEACE ON CLIMATE
Peace on Climate was born as a result of the 2020 Communication Lab held by the Anna Lindh Foundation and Centre for the Mediterranean Integration. 5 young students and young professionals from around the Mediterranean were gathered at this event with the aim of creating a campaign that would put the learned knowledge into practice. The Peace on Climate campaign was awarded and praised for its ideas and strategy, opening the door for it to be released in real life.
Why Peace on Climate?
Several studies point out the relationship between climate change and radicalization, conflict, and other violent scenarios. The worsening of living conditions due to more frequent droughts and devastating floods can already be seen in some regions of the world, especially in the Sahel one, where the United States Agency for International Development expects 1.5 times higher temperatures than anywhere else.
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However, not only data support these assumptions, but also testimonies from young boys and girls whose only chance of survival was joining an armed group, as the farming and herder activity from which they used to make a living became impossible within such environmental conditions.
Today, taking into consideration the scientific predictions pointing out at a rise in temperatures over the Paris Agreement’s limits, and being able to witness the natural phenomena that occurred in the past few years; environmental action is not only a matter of natural conservation but will become a matter of international security too.
While conflict and extremism are caused by different factors, it is clear that climate environmental degradation can jeopardise peace efforts, and therefore, a green approach to peacebuilding is needed.
What do we want?
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We want international institutions to acknowledge the linkage between climate change and the proliferation of conflict and radicalisation.
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We want the next COP 26 to include the discussion over the tackling of conflict and violence through an environmental approach in its agenda, and to approve an action plan to foster real action.
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We want to promote a form of peacebuilding based on natural resources, as we believe it can be as or more important than hostile operations at guaranteeing solid and long-term solutions.
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We want regional and local governments of places affected by climate change to implement local climate action such as capacity building, rehabilitation of endangered areas, investment in sustainable technologies, and other projects able to reduce the exposure of the community to climate-related effects and thus conflict.
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We want national governments and international organisations to take the necessary action in order to comply with the measures stipulated by the Paris Agreement and keep the average temperature below the tipping point both to ensure environmental preservation and global peace.