MSC @ COP28

At COP28, the MSC aimed to provide relevant stakeholders with a platform to discuss the steps ahead at the nexus of climate and foreign and security policy. The different event formats at COP28 included selected discussion sessions, a high-level dinner and a concluding lunch. While some of the events were explicitly aimed at the general public, other sessions were by invitation only with a limited group of high-level participants from different sectors, allowing for a diversity of interactive debates on and off the record as well as on- and offline. With these activities, the MSC built on the discussions at the annual main conference, last year's COP27, the NATO High-Level Dialogue on Climate and Security, and the past Munich Leaders Meetings (MLM).

With devastating impacts of climate change omnipresent, communities across the globe suffer from extreme weather events and are confronted with climate-induced security risks, ranging from destroyed livelihoods and disrupted food supply, to instability and conflict. While increasing geopolitical tensions continue to strain climate cooperation, the world needs global and comprehensive approaches to address these monumental challenges. A key element is the support of those who face the brunt of climate change by high-income countries.

COP28 provides a crucial forum to foster exchange between different stakeholders and identify concrete pathways towards decisive climate action in times of severe geopolitical divisions. The first Global Stocktake of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since the Paris Agreement will identify what remains to be done to meet the net-zero targets and enable a just transition.

Building on the MSC’s activities at past COP summits, MSC sessions at COP28 addressed the increasing security implications of climate change as well as geopolitical ripple-effects of the energy transition. The sessions focused on ways to enable effective climate action and looking at fragility, peacebuilding and food security, climate finance and power shifts on the path to decarbonization. The MSC sought to enable climate cooperation that reaches beyond sectoral boundaries and effectively addresses climate change and related security implications.

“Climate Security Moment: Assuming Joint Leadership”

01.30 p.m. (GST) / 10.30 a.m. (CET)

Arena 2 (Al Wakri), Global Climate Action Area, Blue Zone

The high-level segment – organized in partnership with the UAE COP28 Presidency – took place within the framework of the World Climate Action Summit of COP28, which convened leaders and stakeholders to discuss how to scale up concrete action on the climate security nexus. The first part of the event was a leaders input segment that was open to accredited press. It was followed by an off-the-record roundtable discussion amongst a selected group of around 50 decision-makers and experts from the international security and climate communities. With this Climate Security Moment, the MSC aimed to build momentum among leaders to address and align priorities on the interlinked challenges of climate change and security.

Panel Discussion: “Dried Up: Strengthening Resilience of Food Systems in Light of Climate Change”

09.30 – 10.15 a.m. (GST) / 06.30 – 07.15 a.m. (CET)

Action Lab (Al Jeer), Global Climate Action Area, Blue Zone

Along with the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine, economic shocks, and conflict, climate change remains the fundamental driver of global food insecurity around. This high-level discussion brought together a diverse set of stakeholders to develop strategies on reducing food supply dependencies from external actors, strengthen climate resilience of local and regional food systems, and enable sustainable long-term food production.

This event was open to COP28 participants.

“In the Eye of the Storm: Climate Action in Times of Geopolitical Tensions”

Climate Security Reflection Dinner at COP28

Security Innovation Board Meeting at COP28

“Winds of Change: The Geopolitics of the Energy Transition”

Lunch Discussion (in cooperation with EY & PiK)

Within the framework of its Sustainability Program, the MSC regularly hosts high-level events to advance the debate at the intersections of governance, the environment, security, and prosperity. This entails addressing the multiple security dimensions of climate change and a rapidly transforming geopolitical order.