Environmental Change and Security Program - ECSP

What does classical geopolitics have to tell us about climate and conflict? How are developing nations employing circular economics? Check out this week's posts for answers to these questions and much more ⬇️

🔹 Classic Geopolitics and Today’s Nexus of Conflict and Climate | By Dr. Gerard Toal - https://buff.ly/3DQDHtg

🔹 When Going in Circles is a Virtue: “The Circular Economy” | By Steven Gale - https://buff.ly/4age6WS

🔹 2024 Dot-Mom Guest Contributor Highlights | By Maternal Health Initiative - https://buff.ly/4jjSlJO

🔹 ECSP Weekly Watch | January 13 – 17 | By Angus Soderberg - https://buff.ly/3WnipK4

This week, we featured articles on a wide range of topics, from unplanned decarbonization and China EV investments in Thailand to kangaroo mother care and the possibility of a decolonial energy transition. Check out this week's posts below ⬇️

1️⃣ The Traumas of Unplanned Decarbonization in Fragile States | By Alex de Waal & Aditya Sarkar - https://buff.ly/406eUJ7

2️⃣ Low-Carbon Transitions: A Spur (and a Solution) to Colonial Violence? | By Erik Post - https://buff.ly/4255Y9n

3️⃣ Kangaroo Mother Care: A Critical Role in Welcoming the Tiniest Lives | By Consolata Chikoti - https://buff.ly/40oO6VP

4️⃣ Charged Up: China Driving Thailand’s EV Industry | By Nayan Seth - https://buff.ly/3WaG2FG

5️⃣ ECSP Weekly Watch | January 6 – 10 | By Angus Soderberg - https://buff.ly/408Dysx

💫 This week on New Security Beat, we cover how to accelerate just energy transitions around the world, the promise of a new US-Africa energy alliance, the consequences of the Swachh Bharat Mission, and more! Check out the latest from NSB here ⬇️

🔹 The Arc | Financing Inclusive Climate Action: Investing in and Empowering Local Communities | https://buff.ly/3OX0vKa

🔹 Swachh Bharat Mission: Intended and Unintended Consequences | By Shamika Ravi & Sindhuja Penumarty - https://buff.ly/3ZB1QeH

🔹 US-Africa Energy Development: An Opportunity for the Trump Administration? | By Kalim Shah & Etchu Tabenyang - https://buff.ly/3BvHV8S

🔹 The Arc | Inclusive Green Energy: Accelerating Just Transitions | https://buff.ly/41A4Hae

🔹 ECSP Weekly Watch | December 9 – 13 | By Neeraja Kulkarni - https://buff.ly/4fkNgO9

✨ ECSP welcomes Margarita Balmaceda as a new fellow!

Dr. Margarita M. Balmaceda is a Professor of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University and an Associate at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI). At the Wilson Center, Dr. Balmaceda will focus on a research project titled “The Last Frontier of Decarbonization: Hidden Industrial Fossil Fuels Between Geopolitics and Climate Change."

Join us in welcoming Dr. Balmaceda to the Wilson Center! 👏 👏

ICYMI | Check out the latest from ECSP on ⬇️

🔹 Guam and Vanuatu: Different Paths from Environmental Change to Human Insecurity | By Anselm Vogler - https://buff.ly/3ODEFv7

🔹 Swathi Veeravalli on the Importance of Climate Security for US Strategic Interests | By Lauren Risi - https://buff.ly/415b0Ci

🔹 The 2024 Montreal Climate Security Summit: Four Takeaways | By Claire Doyle - https://buff.ly/4i6POCg

🔹 Microplastics are Sickening and Killing Wildlife, Disrupting Earth Systems | Cross-posted from Mongabay by Sharon Guynup - https://buff.ly/3CMUNI0

🔹 Confronting Pronatalism is Essential for Reproductive Justice and Ecological Sustainability | By Nandita Bajaj - https://buff.ly/3CYcJ2f

💫 Application Now Open | Agents of Change Youth Fellowship

The Wilson Center's Middle East Program and Environmental Change and Security Program are pleased to announce a call for applications for the “Agents of Change Youth Fellowship.”

The ACYF Fellowship is an opportunity for emerging leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to advance their careers at the intersection of climate change, water, and security. recognizing the importance of addressing water-related challenges in the MENA region and the potential for its youth to meaningfully shape action on water and climate change, this year’s theme will focus on water and innovation.

As a fellow, you will get the chance to hear from leading experts in the water, climate, and security fields, build their technical research and writing skills, and conduct original research on a topic of their choosing.

Learn how to apply today on the fellowship webpage⬇️
https://buff.ly/3z6GREr

💫 As climate finance takes center stage at , it is important to recognize that despite the evidence, funding for climate responses that focus on health or gender remains relatively low. In the rare instances where climate finance provides funds to improve health services, sexual and (SRH) services—which are critical to women’s full participation in society and decision-making—are largely neglected.

Last month, ECSP and the Wilson Center | Maternal Health Initiative partnered to produce a exploring opportunities to integrate equity and sexual and reproductive health services into climate finance. The New Security Brief, produced with support from the Population Institute, surveys current trends and recommends pathways to close the gap between climate resilience and gender equity that make more impactful.

📖 Check out the full brief here ⬇️
https://buff.ly/48x7W3F

🌍 is underway!

For two weeks, leaders, experts, activists, and communities from around the world are gathering for the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, to advance climate action and strengthen global commitments. Delegates are set to host discussions on critical issues ranging from climate finance, green technology, and the energy transition to community and .

With COP29 being heralded as the "finance COP," keep your eye on two new initiatives—the Climate Finance Action Fund and the Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment, and Trade—that aim to encourage voluntary annual contributions from fossil fuel-producing countries and organizations.

Stay tuned for more coverage of COP29's Energy/Peace, Relief, and Recovery Day on November 15! And of course, check out to learn more about the road to Baku through past COPs and some of the challenges and lessons learned from climate action over the years: https://buff.ly/2NE6X7R 👇

◾“Relief, Recovery, and Peace: Iris Ferguson on COP28’s New Theme” By Lauren Herzer Risi

◾“COP 27 in Sharm: Few Opportunities and More Challenges for MENA Environmentalists” By Peter Schwartzstein.

◾“End of the Beginning:” What Was Achieved at COP21?” By Graham Norwood.

The latest issue of the Wilson Quarterly is out! Check out these articles from Lauren Risi and Sarah Barnes and much more in the publication ⬇️

1️⃣ Building Resilience Amid Growing Humanitarian Needs | https://buff.ly/3AeOJqL

As climate change increases the intensity of natural disasters and conflicts grow, humanitarian crises are becoming more complex and challenging to address. In the latest Wilson Quarterly, ECSP Director Lauren Risi sits down with humanitarian water specialist Syed Imran Ali to discuss how we can build resilience in the face of these growing challenges.

The key takeaway? The impact of climate change isn’t just increasing disaster occurrences—it is also complicating the delivery of vital assistance to those in need.

2️⃣ As Humanitarian Crises Grow, So Do Risks for Women and Newborns | https://buff.ly/4emqyF3

As humanitarian crises continue to grow, the risks faced by women and newborns are increasingly alarming. In this feature, Wilson Center | Maternal Health Initiative Director Sarah Barnes interviews maternal and newborn health experts from UNFPA, the International Rescue Committee, Project Hope, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and elsewhere to uncover what aspects of care require more focus in humanitarian emergencies.

Together, they shed light on the urgent need for tailored responses to protect the most vulnerable during crises.

✨ Event Recap | Forum on Advancing Inclusive Climate Action in Foreign Policy and Development

On October 18th, the Wilson Center, in collaboration with the White House and USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and Climate Adaptation Support Activity, hosted climate leaders from a range of sectors identifying opportunities for inclusive climate action in US foreign policy and development. Check out the Forum's expert panels:

1️⃣ Special Envoy for Climate John Podesta moderated a panel featuring industry experts Amol Mehra, Jennifer Sara, Patricia Shako, and Aparna Shrivastava showcasing US government-led climate action initiatives, highlighting the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships for achieving a truly just energy transition.

2️⃣ Following remarks from Bishop Leah D. Daughtry, USAID’s Marcia Wong led an engaging discussion with Desirée Cormier Smith, Juan Carlos Jintiach, Lindsay Allen, and Dr. Gerald Torres. They underscored the importance of recognizing Indigenous peoples’ land stewardship and building on and incorporating Indigenous knowledge to advance localized climate action efforts.

3️⃣ The National Security Council’s Jake Levine took the stage with inspiring leaders Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, Jacqueline Musiitwa, Bella Tonkonogy, and Laura García to explore how investments and financial reforms can strengthen inclusive climate action, especially in fragile and developing countries. Following the panel, Chair Brenda Mallory closed out the Forum with optimism about the integration of environmental justice priorities into US foreign policy.

Watch the morning session here ⬇️
https://buff.ly/4eVlGYs

And watch the afternoon sessions here ⬇️
https://buff.ly/3YyAcQc

🗓️ EVENT | Forum on Advancing Inclusive Climate Action in Foreign Policy and Development

Join us on October 18th, from 12:15 PM to 3:00 PM EST, the Wilson Center, in collaboration with the White House and USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, will host a series of dialogues aimed at identifying opportunities for inclusive climate action in US Foreign Policy, Humanitarian Assistance, and Development.

The Forum will address the longstanding connections between foreign policy, environmental justice, and climate change, and the increasingly pressing questions on how to develop and apply more effective and inclusive frameworks that benefit the populations most adversely impacted by climate change. The dialogues will present diverse initiatives and approaches from across the U.S. government and its partners that advance community-led climate action and facilitate multi-sector discussions on fostering climate-resilient economies in a just manner. The Forum provides a valuable opportunity to explore the complexities of this work in both domestic and international contexts, define progress, share lessons learned, and identify future pathways.

RSVP for the event online below ⬇️

Forum on Advancing Inclusive Climate Action in Foreign Policy and Development The Forum on Advancing Inclusive Climate Action in Foreign Policy and Development is held in collaboration with the White House and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, with support from the USAID Climate Adaptation Support Activity. The Forum will address the longstanding connections betwe...