OSCE Chairpersonship Conference Emphasizes Comprehensive Approach to Climate Protection
The third annual OSCE Chairmanship Conference on Climate and Security, held in Espoo, Finland, emphasized the urgent need to respond to the pressing national, regional, and global security challenges posed by climate change. The conference highlighted the importance of a comprehensive and whole-of-society approach to advancing the climate and security agenda.
Panelists at the OSCE Chairpersonship Conference on Climate and Security in Espoo. / Picture: © OSCE / Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Markku Pajunen/ ID 592990, (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Elina Valtonen, Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of the OSCE emphasized in her opening speech that environmental issues and climate change must be part of comprehensive security, as they pose a threat to global security. She called for strategic foresight, multilateral cooperation, adaptation, and a whole-of-society approach to improve preparedness and resilience. Sari Multala, Finnish Minister for the Environment, pointed out that climate change is a “threat multiplier” that exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, promotes instability and undermines the foundations of peace and prosperity. She also emphasized that climate change is part of a broader “triple planetary crisis” that also includes biodiversity loss and pollution, as well as accelerated land degradation and desertification. Bakyt Dzhusupov, OSCE Coordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities, highlighted that women and young people are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.
Comprehensive conference focus and participants
The conference, which was attended by around 250 participants from OSCE participating States, cooperation partners, international organizations, local administrations, businesses, civil society, and academia, addressed a wide range of specific challenges. Discussions included the environmental impact of the war in Ukraine, strategies to strengthen the response to climate-related security threats, and the promotion of public-private partnerships and inclusive, whole-of-society approaches. The conference focused on the environmental and climate costs of conflict, the involvement of businesses in shaping climate security, and the role of environmental and climate activists.
A central theme of the event was the OSCE's unique capabilities in supporting commitments and strengthening resilience, particularly the role of the comprehensive security approach. While the conference reaffirmed the urgent need for collective action to address climate risks and their security implications, it also highlighted the current obstacles to cooperation.
Environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has shaken post-Cold War stability and changed the European security landscape. The war has caused immeasurable damage to the environment," said Minister Valtonen. The conference emphasized that the war has caused irreversible damage to Ukraine's environment, with burned forests, polluted rivers, and disrupted water management systems. Environmental damage can be a deliberate war tactic to make a country uninhabitable.
Next steps and future discussions
The results of the conference will be incorporated into a study on the role and work of the OSCE concerning the climate, peace, and security agenda. This study, to be published later in 2025, will take stock of progress and initiatives since the adoption of the 2021 OSCE Ministerial Council decision.
Further discussions on practical solutions to strengthen climate resilience are planned for September in Prague. This event will provide a platform for OSCE participating States and partners to exchange views on foresight mechanisms, technological solutions, inclusive approaches, and policy frameworks. The conference was organized in cooperation with the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, WWF Finland, Hanaholmen, and the City of Espoo, and built on previous OSCE discussions on climate and security, in particular the 2024 Climate Conference under the Maltese Chairmanship and the first high-level conference of the OSCE Secretary General in Vienna in 2023.