Conflict and Environment Observatory

21 Sept

We need to talk about "Nature Security". We're seeing a big push to securitise nature but it's being done in a way that risks ignoring the root causes of #biodiversity loss, and the solutions we need to fix it.

ceobs.orgThe environmental risks from attacks on data centres - CEOBSData centres are increasingly being targeted during conflicts and we need to understand the risks posed to people and the environment.

#Datacenters are proliferating globally and 2026 has seen them increasingly targeted during conflicts. With #military #AI use growing, it's likely a growing trend. Our new post explores the trend, and its environmental risks ceobs.org/the-environm...

We're at #COP17Armenia to talk about nature, peace and security and it's been really encouraging to find growing interest in this theme. Tomorrow you can find us at two events: in the #NaturePositive tent with WWF, CI, WCS and AWF discussing how you can protect nature in insecure contexts...

...and shortly after at an event with @earthethicsctr.bsky.social exploring what's missing in the #COP17Armenia talks, the knowledge systems, the values, the ethics and the elephants in the room. For us it's peace and security. Hope you can join us.

ceobs.orgBriefing: Defining Nature, Peace and Security (NPS) - CEOBSNature security that prioritises the national security of a few won't address the drivers of biodiversity loss; we explore what's needed instead.

And if you're following along at home, you can learn more about nature, peace and security, and why it has to be about more than just the national interests of a few countries here: ceobs.org/briefing-def...

bbc.comOil spill washes up on UAE beaches after tanker strikeSatellite images show oil spreading for miles along the coastline, threatening local marine wildlife

This week we helped the BBC and Reuters report on the oil spill affecting the UAE after a strike on the Gem 2 tanker. This is the BBC's take www.bbc.com/news/article...

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

ceobs.orgMilitaries and conflict: critical gaps in climate action - CEOBSAnalysing how governments address military emissions and conflict impacts in their UNFCCC Nationally Determined Contribution climate plans.

UNEP are sounding the alarm- the latest #EmissionsGap report highlights how conflicts are impacting global energy supply as well as increasing emissions through military operations, infrastructure destruction and landscape fires.

UN Environment Programme@unep.org

The chance to keep global warming below 1.5°C with no overshoot is gone. But urgent action can still limit the overshoot and bring warming back to 1.5°C by 2100. Current policies, however, put the 🌎 on course for up to 2.8°C this century. New #EmissionsGap Report: https://ow.ly/SNHX50ZZz8l

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

Climate Policy Radar

@climatepolicyradar.org

Climate Policy Radar was used in a new report from @ceobs.org, which looks at military emissions & the climate impacts of conflict. CEOBS searched the latest NDCs for “military”, “conflict”, “security”, “defence”, “war”, and “peace”, identifying 31 with relevant mentions. 👇 For the full analysis.

The Military Emissions Gap@militaryemissions.org

🚨 There’s a critical gap in #ClimateAction 🚨 Our analysis of UNFCCC climate action plans (NDCs) revealed that not a single government has included measures to reduce military emissions in their plans to limit warming to 1.5C. Read the report at: ceobs.org/militaries-a...

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

ceobs.orgNature, peace and security at COP17 - CEOBSAs attention grows on nature, peace and security, states are reporting how conflicts are impeding work to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

A review of global progress to halt #biodiversity loss is in and a number of countries are reporting that fragility and conflict are obstructing implementation. This #COP17 post explores these barriers and what we and partners are doing to challenge them ceobs.org/nature-peace...

ceobs.orgNature, peace and security at COP17 - CEOBSAs attention grows on nature, peace and security, states are reporting how conflicts are impeding work to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

ceobs.orgJoint CSO statement to the UNGA on the Environment, peace and security - CEOBSStatement drafted by CEOBS and delivered by Melissa Bushi of Pace University to the UN General Assembly First Committee.

Yesterday the #UNGA #FirstCommittee heard that governments must do more to integrate the environment into the disarmament topics on its agenda if the Committee is to remain relevant in our increasingly climate changed, nature depleted and polluted world. ceobs.org/joint-cso-st...

Three civil society networks and 35 organisations endorsed the statement. The statement was prepared by CEOBS and delivered by the brilliant Melissa Bushi, a student at @paceuniversity.bsky.social, NYC.

Ensuring ERW are cleared safely and sustainably has implications for how communities can recover from conflicts, especially as the climate becomes more extreme and unpredictable. Despite this, these issues are often siloed by researchers, policymakers, and by donors.

eventbrite.co.ukHidden Connections: Post-Conflict Climate Change and Explosive OrdnanceA panel discussion on the links between climate change, leftover explosives, and life after conflict

Next week, we join @soasdevelopment.bsky.social Mekelle Uni in parliament to present a new methodology for combining spatial data and local expertise to detect environmental incidents relevant to ERW contamination in #Tigray. Work now becoming more urgent. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hidden-con...

It proved to be a great event in parliament last night, Jonathan introduced his new environmental change monitoring methodology for mine action, while Anna introduced participants to the Green Field Tool for mine action. Thank you to all our partners!

We looked at all the national climate plans that states submit to the UNFCCC. None included plans to reduce #military emissions but more and more conflict-affected states highlight how wars are impacting their mitigation and adaptation plans ceobs.org/militaries-a... #COP31

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

theguardian.comDon’t rebuild the dam: Ukrainian experts urge Unesco to protect site uncovered by Russian sabotageAs archaeologists find treasure trove along new floodplain, conservationists say another Nova Kakhovka would be ecocide

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam was labelled as #ecocide. But its loss, and the reappearance of the Great Meadow that originally covered the area are challenging our notions of loss, recovery and of ecocide itself. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

"Building the dam was ecocide, destroying the dam was ecocide, and the third ecocide would be rebuilding it."

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

theguardian.comCop31 host urges wealthy countries to spend ‘much more’ on climate than defence‘The climate issue is the security issue,’ says Turkish minister at Pacific pre-Cop summit in Fiji

While we agree with Turkiye's environment minister Murat Kurum that climate spending should exceed NATO's 5% defence target he would be a more credible advocate if Turkiye reported the GHG emissions of its $25bn military spending www.theguardian.com/environment/... #COP31

ceobs.orgAnalysis reveals weakening emissions reporting amid rising military spending - CEOBSNew UNFCCC Military Emissions Gap data paints a grim picture of obstructive under reporting from countries ramping up their military spending.

When we launched this project at COP26 we assumed that military emissions reporting might improve over time. As #COP31 approaches, the climate crisis intensifies and military spending balloons, this doesn't appear to be the case.

The Military Emissions Gap@militaryemissions.org

Today we launch our annual analysis of military emissions reporting transparency. Here's what we've found: ceobs.org/analysis-rev...

thenationalnews.comGulf nations urged to tackle 'unprecedented' environmental damage from Iran war | The NationalEfforts to safeguard mangroves, seagrass and corals are needed, scientists say

We spoke to @thenationalnews.com about the environmental consequences of the Israeli-US war against #Iran, oil spills aside, international attention and interest has been unusually short lived by the standards of recent conflicts www.thenationalnews.com/news/gulf/20...

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

ceobs.orgAddressing the environmental consequences of conflict, towards the full protection of civilians. - CEOBSWhat environmental factors would we need to consider if we were to extend the protection of civilians beyond the narrow confines of IHL?

New paper! What environmental factors would we need to consider if we were to extend the protection of civilians beyond the narrow confines of #IHL? ceobs.org/addressing-t... #PERAC #IntLaw

New paper! What environmental factors would we need to consider if we were to extend the protection of civilians beyond the narrow confines of #IHL? ceobs.org/addressing-t... #PERAC #IntLaw

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article36.orgPolicies That Protect Civilians from WeaponsCombining a decade of diplomatic expertise with rigorous analysis to develop the legal standards and actionable policies that protect civilians from weapons.

For Article36.org, states’ frequently cynical use of IHL as a ceiling, rather than baseline of conduct, has been part of the problem. Moreover, the framework’s temporal scope can map poorly onto many of the environmental harms associated with conflict.

Its concept of the ‘full protection of civilians’ aims to challenge this status quo, and to help us imagine the degree of protection people affected by conflict should be entitled to. Our new collaborative paper explores its environmental dimensions: ceobs.org/addressing-t...

New paper! What environmental factors would we need to consider if we were to extend the protection of civilians beyond the narrow confines of #IHL? ceobs.org/addressing-t... #PERAC #IntLaw

We’ve long argued that protecting civilians means protecting the environment they depend on and, while UN debates on the Protection of Civilians have increasingly considered the environment, attention has often been selective or narrowly framed. #PoC

@carolinelucas.bsky.social @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social @adrianramsay.bsky.social @greenparty.org.uk thanks for the focus on nature security, this new briefing explores what's missing from the securitisation narrative, and why it's a problem ceobs.org/briefing-def...

21 Sept

21 Sept

In this new collaborative briefing we explain why an inclusive and expansive nature, peace and security framing is needed, and why it must address the security needs of all, and not just the Global North ceobs.org/briefing-def...

theguardian.comUK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under StarmerEl Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers

The UK has used the #UNGA to highlight nature security risks, with momentum building it's increasingly urgent that these relationships are framed holistically and tackle the root causes of #biodiversity loss www.theguardian.com/environment/...

link.springer.comDemining and revitalising war-affected landscapes in Ukraine: multi-actor governance responses - Sustainability ScienceUkraine faces one of the world’s largest and most complex explosive-ordnance contamination problems, affecting agricultural land, settlements, forests, and other natural ecosystems. This paper examine...

A new study on #mineaction in #Ukraine finds that "sustainable recovery depends on integrating mine action governance, environmental assessment and remediation, land-use planning, and long-term soil and ecosystem monitoring into a coherent recovery process." link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

ceobs.orgGive sustainable recovery a chance - CEOBSWhat conditions are needed for sustainable conflict recovery? We look at whether lessons from Ukraine could be applied elsewhere.

What needs to be in place for the idea of environmentally sustainable conflict recovery to take hold? With @annackermann.bsky.social we examine why sustainable recovery processes are needed and whether lessons from #Ukraine could be applied to other conflict areas. ceobs.org/give-sustain...

ceobs.orgGive sustainable recovery a chance - CEOBSWhat conditions are needed for sustainable conflict recovery? We look at whether lessons from Ukraine could be applied elsewhere.

Sustainable conflict recovery is not primarily about environmental protection in the abstract; it is about rebuilding the foundations of human security and resilience. Participatory sustainable recovery processes and outcomes can help increase the resilience of communities.

ceobs.orgGive sustainable recovery a chance - CEOBSWhat conditions are needed for sustainable conflict recovery? We look at whether lessons from Ukraine could be applied elsewhere.

But if sustainable recovery is to become more than a slogan, it must be available not only where favourable conditions already exist, but also where communities remain trapped between conflict, environmental degradation and chronic underinvestment. ceobs.org/give-sustain...

upholdhumanityinwar.orgHome | Humanity in War

17 Sept

Exciting to see the outcomes from Humanity in War's global initiative for humanitarian law. We participated in the consultations on naval warfare and IHL and peace. 118 states are part of the Initiative, together with the ICRC. www.upholdhumanityinwar.org/en #PERAC

17 Sept

The detailed environmental considerations in the naval warfare outcome are incredibly timely given what we are monitoring in the Black and Azov seas, Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

17 Sept

As for the the IHL and peace outcome, as an organisation that works to mainstream the environment in humanitarian disarmament, just having environmental risk mitigation and toxic remnants of war situated in an ERW and disarmament context is welcome. www.upholdhumanityinwar.org/en#documenta...

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

ccascoe.orgMontréal Climate Security Summit 2026 - NATO Climate Change & Security Centre of ExcellenceResilient Defence: Climate-Smart Investments on the Road to 5% is the fifth edition of the Montréal Climate Security Summit, focused on defence resilience, climate adaptation, and strategic investment.

15 Sept

Next month we're co-hosting a roundtable at the Montréal #ClimateSecurity Summit 2026. Partnering with the Initiative for GHG Accounting in War, we'll be exploring the emissions implications of NATO's 5% spending goal: ccascoe.org/event/montre...

theguardian.comCurse of the Nile’s gold: how Sudan is losing its fertile fields and ability to produce foodAn artisanal mining boom driven by war and poverty is causing a public health emergency, as chemicals poison soil, water and society

11 Sept

#Gold mining in #Sudan is fuelling the conflict and contaminating the land, its people and the very social fabric of communities. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

11 Sept

It's "one of the Sudanese army’s most important incentives to perpetuate the war ... so that it can benefit from the corruption of these funds. These funds are not subject to any oversight and are solely managed by the army commander and the governor of the central bank.”

theguardian.comUS military says it struck three Iranian tankers after American warships came under missile attackOfficials said US aircraft carrier and destroyer avoided attacks before three Iranian tankers were struck by the US

7 Sept

US attacks 3 unladen Iranian oil tankers, sinks 1. Tankers like the KYLO carry up to 4,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, in addition to the residues within their storage tanks: these attacks are still environmentally problematic, even if vessels are unladen www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

france24.comLikely oil slicks in Strait of Hormuz after US tanker strikes: expertsRecent satellite images analysed on Thursday appear to show oil slicks near the Strait of Hormuz, after US strikes on tankers suspected of links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

11 Sept

We were pleased to assist AFP yesterday in verifying some satellite images of oil slicks thought to be left from US oil tanker strikes this week www.france24.com/en/live-news...

ceobs.orgAre rising spending and temperatures causing more fires on European military lands? - CEOBSIs the pattern of wildfires at European military bases changing in response to higher temperatures and defence spending?

9 Sept

Defence ministries often highlight their stewardship of nature on their extensive training areas. A new study on landscape fires challenges this narrative ceobs.org/are-rising-s...

9 Sept

The study, by @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social Open-Source Global Justice Investigations Lab, invites more scrutiny of the growing climate risks to habitats managed by militaries.

npaid.orgPress release: Norwegian People's Aid says no to U.S. Department of…“The   U.S. Department of State  is  seeking  to impose conditions that would require us to abandon our commitment to equality and diversity not only in …

3 Sept

This is just one of many reasons why we are proud of our long-standing partnership with our good friends @npaid.bsky.social 💚 www.npaid.org/mine-action-... #MineAction #EDI #DEI

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted

3 Sept

Still think militaries should get a free pass for their GHG emissions?

UN Environment Programme@unep.org

Global warming is set to cross 1.5°C, pushing climate risks and impacts to increasingly dangerous heights, a new UNEP report warns. Predicted impacts include extreme weather and threats to human health and economies.

ceobs.orgNew cluster munition action plan would include more environment and climate - CEOBSEnvironmental mainstreaming in mine action has been underway for several years, a new action plan on cluster munitions reflects that.

2 Sept

The process of environmental mainstreaming in #MineAction has been underway for several years. In our new post we explain how a new action plan for the Convention on Cluster Munitions would both reflect and encourage this process. ceobs.org/new-cluster-... @npaid.bsky.social

2 Sept

A welcome message from #PopeLeo on the often deep and lasting environmental degradation resulting from armed conflict, and on the role of environmental degradation in contributing to further violence: www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

Conflict and Environment Observatory reposted