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In the context of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the debate on whether climate change should be included and how has been ongoing since 2007. This article contributes to existing research on this problem by expounding a three-fold analysis. First, it assesses the conceptual approach to the climate-security nexus from the joint statement of 10 UNSC member states in 2020. Second, it critically exposes the confusion of different climate-security conceptions and uncovers shared assumptions of the UNSC-member states in 2020 by comparing their different positions, which makes a soon-to-come agreement likely. Third, it critically evaluates whether the proposal to include climate change into the UNSC will lead to a transformative change of the institution, of the meaning of security, and on how this would correspond to the existential threats outlined in the Anthropocene context. The theoretical framework of analysis draws on critical security studies. It takes as its empirical basis the primary sources of the UNSC debate of 2020 and is also informed by the secondary literature on climate and security and the Earth System Sciences descriptions of the state of the planet.

In the context of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the debate on whether climate change should be included and how has been ongoing since 2007. This article contributes to existing research on this problem by expounding a three-fold analysis. First, it assesses the conceptual approach to the climate-security nexus from the joint statement of 10 UNSC member states in 2020. Second, it critically exposes the confusion of different climate-security conceptions and uncovers shared assumptions of the UNSC-member states in 2020 by comparing their different positions, which makes a soon-to-come agreement likely. Third, it critically evaluates whether the proposal to include climate change into the UNSC will lead to a transformative change of the institution, of the meaning of security, and on how this would correspond to the existential threats outlined in the Anthropocene context. The theoretical framework of analysis draws on critical security studies. It takes as its empirical basis the primary sources of the UNSC debate of 2020 and is also informed by the secondary literature on climate and security and the Earth System Sciences descriptions of the state of the planet.

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 climate change. 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.

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 climate change. 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.

Publiziert als Diskussionsbeiträge der Scientists for Future 5 (43 pp). Die Erstveröffentlichung (nur in Deutsch) erfolgte am 16. Dez. 2020, diese geringfügige Revision 1.1 (Deutsch und Englisch) am 16. Jan. 2021. GERMAN SUMMARY (English Summary further below): Die Zeit drängt. Ohne schnell wirksame Gegenmaßnahmen werden Erderhitzung und Biodiversitätsverlust Ausmaße annehmen, welche die Lebensweise von Menschen nicht abschätzbaren Risiken aussetzen. Obwohl die Herausforderungen weiten Teilen der Bevölkerung bewusst sind, werden dringend nötige Entscheidungen aufgeschoben oder nur teilweise umgesetzt. Eine Ursache hierfür sind fehlende Foren, in denen sich Bürger:innen mit Expert:innen austauschen und gemeinsam mögliche Szenarien und Lösungen erörtern können. Scientists for Future empfiehlt deshalb, mit geeigneten Formen von Bürger:innenversammlungen eine breite und demokratisch partizipative Beteiligung an Zukunftsgestaltung und -sicherung zu ermöglichen. Diese sollten auch unabhängig von einem Auftrag von Regierung oder Parlament initiiert werden. Wir rufen daher zu einem Gründungstreffen auf, um Planung und Durchführung einer Bürger:innenversammlung zum Thema Klima im Jahr 2021 zu ermöglichen. Eine sorgfältige Planung ist nötig, damit die Durchführung neutral und offen geschieht. Hierfür werden einige zentrale Kriterien beschrieben. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Time is pressing. Without quick and effective countermeasures, global warming and loss of biodiversity will assume proportions that expose people’s way of life to incalculable risks. Although large parts of the population are aware of the challenges, urgently needed decisions are postponed or only partially implemented. One reason for this is the lack of forums where citizens can discuss possible scenarios and solutions with experts. Therefore, Scientists for Future recommends enabling a broad and democratic participatory involvement in shaping and securing the future by appropriate forms of citizens’ assemblies. These should also be initiated independently of a mandate from government or parliament. We therefore call for a founding meeting to enable the planning and implementation of a citizens’ assembly on the topic of climate in 2021. A careful planning is necessary, so that the execution happens neutrally and openly. For this purpose, some central criteria are described. ___ Suggested citation: Hagedorn, G.; Baasch, S., Blöbaum, A., Brendel, H., Hardt, J.N., Heiland, S. Klins­mann, M., Matthies, E., Pfennig, A., West, C., Wipfler, B., et al., (2021). Scientists for Future empfiehlt eine reprä­sen­ta­tive Klima-Bürger:innen­ver­sammlung im Jahr 2021 / Scientists for Future recommends a representative Climate Citizens’ Assem­bly in 2021 (Version 1.1, in Deutsch/German & Englisch/English). Diskussionsbeiträge der Scientists for Future, 5, 23 pp. doi:10.5281/zenodo.4417265. Volume 5 of "Diskussionsbeiträge der Scientists for Future". This publication contains both the German original text and an English translation.

Publiziert als Diskussionsbeiträge der Scientists for Future 5 (43 pp). Die Erstveröffentlichung (nur in Deutsch) erfolgte am 16. Dez. 2020, diese geringfügige Revision 1.1 (Deutsch und Englisch) am 16. Jan. 2021. GERMAN SUMMARY (English Summary further below): Die Zeit drängt. Ohne schnell wirksame Gegenmaßnahmen werden Erderhitzung und Biodiversitätsverlust Ausmaße annehmen, welche die Lebensweise von Menschen nicht abschätzbaren Risiken aussetzen. Obwohl die Herausforderungen weiten Teilen der Bevölkerung bewusst sind, werden dringend nötige Entscheidungen aufgeschoben oder nur teilweise umgesetzt. Eine Ursache hierfür sind fehlende Foren, in denen sich Bürger:innen mit Expert:innen austauschen und gemeinsam mögliche Szenarien und Lösungen erörtern können. Scientists for Future empfiehlt deshalb, mit geeigneten Formen von Bürger:innenversammlungen eine breite und demokratisch partizipative Beteiligung an Zukunftsgestaltung und -sicherung zu ermöglichen. Diese sollten auch unabhängig von einem Auftrag von Regierung oder Parlament initiiert werden. Wir rufen daher zu einem Gründungstreffen auf, um Planung und Durchführung einer Bürger:innenversammlung zum Thema Klima im Jahr 2021 zu ermöglichen. Eine sorgfältige Planung ist nötig, damit die Durchführung neutral und offen geschieht. Hierfür werden einige zentrale Kriterien beschrieben. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Time is pressing. Without quick and effective countermeasures, global warming and loss of biodiversity will assume proportions that expose people’s way of life to incalculable risks. Although large parts of the population are aware of the challenges, urgently needed decisions are postponed or only partially implemented. One reason for this is the lack of forums where citizens can discuss possible scenarios and solutions with experts. Therefore, Scientists for Future recommends enabling a broad and democratic participatory involvement in shaping and securing the future by appropriate forms of citizens’ assemblies. These should also be initiated independently of a mandate from government or parliament. We therefore call for a founding meeting to enable the planning and implementation of a citizens’ assembly on the topic of climate in 2021. A careful planning is necessary, so that the execution happens neutrally and openly. For this purpose, some central criteria are described. ___ Suggested citation: Hagedorn, G.; Baasch, S., Blöbaum, A., Brendel, H., Hardt, J.N., Heiland, S. Klins­mann, M., Matthies, E., Pfennig, A., West, C., Wipfler, B., et al., (2021). Scientists for Future empfiehlt eine reprä­sen­ta­tive Klima-Bürger:innen­ver­sammlung im Jahr 2021 / Scientists for Future recommends a representative Climate Citizens’ Assem­bly in 2021 (Version 1.1, in Deutsch/German & Englisch/English). Diskussionsbeiträge der Scientists for Future, 5, 23 pp. doi:10.5281/zenodo.4417265. Volume 5 of "Diskussionsbeiträge der Scientists for Future". This publication contains both the German original text and an English translation.

This chapter introduces the book, Climate Security in the Anthropocene—Exploring the Approaches of United Nations Security Council Member-States. Climate change is increasingly positioned as a security issue. A number of influential governance actors including states, international organisations, and civil society groups now connect climate change to a variety of security threats such as armed conflict, disasters, low socio-economic development, and fragile governing institutions. These threat perceptions have translated into political action and have led to the formation of a complex constellation of governance actors in response. In particular, over the past fifteen years both permanent and non-permanent member-states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have been instrumental in constructing and responding to climate security threats. This introductory chapter presents the overall aim of the book, which is to analyse whether the concept of security has shifted over time with respect to climate change, and if so, how these shifts have occurred in state practices. It begins by tracing the evolution of climate security in academic scholarship and in the UNSC. It then presents the theoretical framework of the book, which distinguishes between three ideal-types of climate security: national security, human security, and ecological security. It concludes by outlining the methodology of the book, which is comprised of fifteen case study chapters that explore the various ways in which member-states that sat on the UNSC between 2018 and in 2020 constructed and responded to climate security threats.

This chapter introduces the book, Climate Security in the Anthropocene—Exploring the Approaches of United Nations Security Council Member-States. Climate change is increasingly positioned as a security issue. A number of influential governance actors including states, international organisations, and civil society groups now connect climate change to a variety of security threats such as armed conflict, disasters, low socio-economic development, and fragile governing institutions. These threat perceptions have translated into political action and have led to the formation of a complex constellation of governance actors in response. In particular, over the past fifteen years both permanent and non-permanent member-states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have been instrumental in constructing and responding to climate security threats. This introductory chapter presents the overall aim of the book, which is to analyse whether the concept of security has shifted over time with respect to climate change, and if so, how these shifts have occurred in state practices. It begins by tracing the evolution of climate security in academic scholarship and in the UNSC. It then presents the theoretical framework of the book, which distinguishes between three ideal-types of climate security: national security, human security, and ecological security. It concludes by outlining the methodology of the book, which is comprised of fifteen case study chapters that explore the various ways in which member-states that sat on the UNSC between 2018 and in 2020 constructed and responded to climate security threats.