The independent resource on global security
Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk
José Francisco Alvarado Cóbar,
Anniek Barnhoorn,
Noah Bell,
Emilie Broek,
Karolina Eklöw,
Jakob Faller,
Andrea Gadnert,
Dr Farah Hegazi,
Dr Kyungmee Kim,
Dr Florian Krampe,
Claire McAllister,
David Michel,
Dr Elise Remling,
Elizabeth Smith,
Dan Smith,
Jürg A. Staudenmann,
Dr Geoffrey D. Dabelko ,
Evelyn Salas Alfaro,
Hafsa Maalim,
Daniel Bell-Moran,
Richard Black,
Joshua Busby,
Cedric de Coning,
Alexis Eberlein,
Melvis Ndiloseh,
Corey Pattison
and Caleb Ray
May 2022
Stockholm
SIPRI
The environmental crisis is increasing risks to security and peace worldwide, notably in countries that are already fragile. Indicators of insecurity such as the number of conflicts, the number of hungry people and military expenditure are rising; so are indicators of environmental decline, climate change, biodiversity, pollution and other areas. In combination, the security and environmental crises are creating compound, cascading, emergent, systemic and existential risks. Without profound changes in approach by institutions of authority, risks will inevitably proliferate quickly.
Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk surveys the evolving risk landscape and documents a number of developments that indicate a pathway to solutions—in international law and policy, in peacekeeping operations and among non-governmental organizations. It finds that two principal avenues need to be developed: (a) combining peacebuilding and environmental restoration, and (b) effectively addressing the underlying environmental issues. It also analyses the potential of existing and emerging pro-environment measures for exacerbating risks to peace and security. The findings demonstrate that only just and peaceful transitions to more sustainable practices can be effective—and show that these transitions also need to be rapid.
Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk offers policy principles and recommendations for navigating this new era of risk. A longer report setting out the evidence base in detail will be published later this year.
Read more about the Environment of Peace initiative here and visit the Environment of Peace report website.
Table of contents
Foreword
Executive summary
1. Two crises and a deficit
2. A new era of risk
3. A just and peaceful transition
4. Foundations of a new security
5. Towards an Environment of Peace
Conclusion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)/EDITORS
José Francisco Alvarado Cóbar was a Research Assistant in the SIPRI Peace and Development Programme.
Anniek Barnhoorn is a Policy and Projects Officer working on SIPRI’s Major Initiatives.
Noah Bell Noah Bell was a Project Assistant at SIPRI.
Emilie Broek was a Research Assistant in the SIPRI Climate Change and Risk Programme.
Karolina Eklöw was the Coordinator of SIPRI’s Environment of Peace initiative.
Jakob Faller was a Research Assistant to the Director of SIPRI.
Andrea Gadnert is a Major Initiatives Project Coordinator and Research Assistant.
Dr Farah Hegazi was a Researcher in the SIPRI Climate Change and Risk Programme.
Dr Kyungmee Kim is an Associate Researcher in the SIPRI Climate Change and Risk Programme.
Dr Florian Krampe is the Director of Studies, Peace and Development, at SIPRI.
Claire McAllister is SIPRI's Head of Major Initiatives.
David Michel was a Senior Researcher with SIPRI’s Environment of Peace 2022 initiative.
Dr Elise Remling is an Associate Senior Researcher in the SIPRI Climate Change and Risk Programme.
Elizabeth Smith was a Research Assistant with SIPRI’s Climate Change and Risk Programme.
Dan Smith is the Director of SIPRI.
Jürg A. Staudenmann was a Seconded Expert for SIPRI’s Environment of Peace initiative.
Dr Geoffrey D. Dabelko is an Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI’s Environment of Peace Initiative and Professor at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Ohio University.
Evelyn Salas Alfaro was an intern in the SIPRI Peace and Development Programme.
Hafsa Maalim is an Associate Senior Researcher at SIPRI.
Daniel Bell-Moran <p>is an Environmental Studies Master’s candidate at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service where he is researching the conflict potential of biofuel projects.</p>
Richard Black <p>is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London. Former science and environment correspondent for BBC News. From 2014–20 he was Director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank.</p>
Joshua Busby <p>is an Associate Professor of Public Affairs at The University of Texas LBJ School. He is on leave in 2021-22, serving as a Senior Advisor for Climate at the US Department of Defense.</p>
Cedric de Coning is a Research Professor in the Research Group on Peace, Conflict and Development at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). He co-directs the NUPI Center on United Nations and Global Governance, and the Climate, Peace and Security Risk project.
Alexis Eberlein <p>is a Voinovich Scholar at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service and a Political Science student in the Honors Tutorial College.</p>
Melvis Ndiloseh <p>is CEO of the Foundation for Peace and Solidarity (FPS), a Cameroon-based non-profit. She is also a Senior Lecturer at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, University of Yaounde II.</p>
Corey Pattison <p>is a Program Manager at the UN Environment Programme and former Social Development Specialist at the World Bank focusing on the intersection of climate change, fragility, conflict and violence.</p>
Caleb Ray has a dual degree Juris Doctor / Master of Global Policy Studies candidate at the University of Texas at Austin focusing on sustainable development.