Climate, Conflict and the Implications of Russia’s War on Ukraine

When world leaders convened at COP26 in November last year, climate was at the forefront of the global agenda. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has instead triggered a new “gold rush” for fossil fuels amid skyrocketing commodity prices. In the shadow of the continuing war, leaders meeting at the G7 summit later this month must find ways to reduce reliance on Russian energy without compromising the goal of “climate neutrality” – the central theme chosen for the summit by Germany, which currently holds the G7 presidency.

This week on War & Peace, Olga Oliker talks to Crisis Group’s Director of Innovation and Deputy Director of the Future of Conflict Program, Champa Patel. They discuss how climate change is multiplying the threat of conflict throughout the world, driving resource competition, and amplifying social and economic inequalities. They also talk about the effect of conflict on attempts to address climate change, including in the context of the Ukraine war, and the risk that it will lead many European states to dramatically increase their fossil fuel consumption. Looking ahead to the G7 summit and a critical COP27 in Egypt, they talk about what needs to be done to keep the green transition on track and why addressing conflict-climate links must be on the global agenda.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more about how climate and conflict interact, make sure to check out Crisis Group’s Future of Conflict Program page.

This episode of War & Peace was produced with the support of Stiftung Mercator.