Arria-formula meeting on Climate Finance for Sustaining Peace and Security

Madam President,

Briefers, Members of the Security Council,

At the outset of this meeting, allow me to express Denmark’s full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, which grossly violates international law and the UN Charter, and undermines international security and stability.

We also deplore the human toll and environmental devastation resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Donbas, frequent shelling and landmines have compounded the drying effects of climate change and made the region more susceptible to wildfires. The release of toxic materials into air, water and soil from damaged industrial facilities, exploded pipelines and crumpled buildings worsen the already horrific humanitarian crisis and cause long-lasting harm to environment and livelihoods.

Madam President,

Denmark commends the UAE for hosting today’s important meeting. Environmental impacts and climate change are risk multipliers and asymmetrically affects already fragile and conflict-affected communities. While the issues faced are different in character – from flooding to drought and contamination – addressing the problems at hand is a collective responsibility. We must ensure that our conflict interventions are climate sensitive, and that our climate financing is conflict sensitive.

Let me share four reflections in this regard:

First, we fully support the Security Council’s strengthened focus on the interactions between climate and security. Climate change must be addressed as a complex security issue and requires a nexus-approach; taking into account climate, humanitarian, development and peace issues. We need to include environmental risks and climate factors in risk assessments and long-term conflict interventions, including peacebuilding and conflict resolution. In countries affected by armed conflict, there is an urgent need for analysis and monitoring to assess climate factors and environmental risks, and enable climate-sensitive conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Climate finance could serve as an entry point for increasing such analysis and monitoring in fragile and conflict affected contexts. We also encourage a regular report by the Secretary-General on climate-related security risks, which could improve our ability to take action where it is most needed.

Second, we need to address the imbalance in the distribution of climate financing. As the recent UNDP study on Climate Finance for Sustaining Peace shows, fragile and conflict-affected countries are by far receiving the least per capita funding from climate funds. This is why during the UNGA76 high level week, the Danish Prime Minister announced that Denmark will dedicate at least 60% of our grant-based climate-related Official Development Assistance to climate adaptation – with a particular focus on the poorest and most vulnerable and fragile countries.

Third, when targeting climate finance to support conflict-affected and fragile countries, we must recognize the specific circumstances in these settings, which make it more difficult to access such finance. The multilateral development banks play a key role in channelling finance to where it is most needed. The MDBs must therefore accelerate the alignment of their operations with the Paris Agreement and gear their instruments towards delivering on the climate adaptation and fragility agenda.

Finally, we need to include gender-transformative approaches to the climate and security agenda. Despite the clear disproportionate impact that environmental insecurity has on the lives of women and girls, efforts to tackle climate change, peace and security too often do not ensure the right of women and girls to full, equal and meaningful participation in decisions that affect their lives.

Thank you.