Peace and Climate Adaptation Action

Context

Many of the countries and people affected by climate change are also those affected by conflict and violence. The factors making a country vulnerable to large-scale conflict also heighten the vulnerability of a state and its population to climate-related extremes and make adaptation to climate change harder to achieve and sustain. As a result, societies and populations bear a double climate-conflict burden.

In 2023, the EU issued a Joint Communication on climate and security with the aim to support fragile and crisis-affected regions, countries, and communities to achieve resilience and sustain peace by addressing the climate and environmental risks that intersect with conflict and instability.  This was complemented with the subsequent Action Documents for addressing the global and trans-regional effects of climate change and related environmental factors having a potentially destabilising impact on peace and security.

Established in October 2025, the EU Action on Policy Coherence for Adaptation and Resilience brings together the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), the Berghof Foundation (BF), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to support regions and countries affected by climate change and conflict in better aligning peace and climate adaptation policies. The initiative supports the operationlisation of the EU Joint Comunication and 2024 Action Document on Climate Change and Security. 

Overall objective

This project aims to contribute to the improved alignment of regional and national policies on peace and climate adaptation in fragile contexts.

Specific objectives

• To increase knowledge on supporting the alignment of peace and climate adaptation efforts.
• To enhance key actors’ skills and capacities for improved alignment between peace and adaptation efforts.

Concrete activities

• Development of a methodology for aligning peace and climate adaptation policies.
• Designing and implementing processes to align climate adaptation and peace efforts in select fragile countries, as part of country implementation efforts.
• Delivery of a Peace and Climate Help Desk for EU institutions, delegations, and partners to request technical and political advice on peace and climate adaptation.
• Peer learning and exchange workshops, policy products, and participation in (EU) learning and policy events.

Expected results

• Target groups and stakeholders achieve greater resilience and more sustainable peace by addressing the climate and environmental risks that may contribute to driving conflict and instability.
• Evidence-based knowledge products are developed, made publicly available, and shared with peer organisations in both the climate and peace sectors.
• Technical and capacity development support delivered to key stakeholders to help advance climate adaptation and peace alignment.
• Cross-sectoral collaboration and information-sharing are strengthened between peace and climate adaptation actors in fragile contexts. 

Expected achievements

• Enhanced knowledge, understanding, and capacity of the EU, governments, peace and climate practitioners in aligning and integrating peace and adaptation efforts.
• EU, governments, peace and climate practitioners are able to design and implement more effective peace and adaptation policies and interventions in diverse contexts.
• Stakeholders in fragile contexts will be equipped with enhanced skills and capacities to better integrate peacebuilding and climate adaptation efforts, supporting greater coherence between national and sub-national crisis and conflict prevention mechanisms and climate adaptation policies.