Bridging the climate, peace, and security science-policy divide

Bridging the climate, peace, and security science-policy divide

When: 22 October 2025 | 14:30 to 17:00 CEST

Format: 90-minute panel discussion with Q&A

Venue: Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), Ludwigkirchplatz 3-4, Berlin

Overview:

Over the past decades, the impact of climate change on conflict and security has become an important topic in both academic literature and policy debate. A significant body of research has emerged and continues to expand. In the policy context, the issue has evolved into a growing agenda across the United Nations system, the African Union, ASEAN, the European Union, NATO, and even at recent COPs.

Although both academic and policy communities are working broadly within the same field, they often operate in parallel and are not as informed about each other’s work, progress, challenges, and latest developments as one might expect. This results in missed opportunities for cooperation and cross-fertilisation. This side event is part of ZIF and XCEPT’s shared commitment to bring the policy and scientific communities together to discuss the state of the science-policy interface in the CPS space, and to take stock of where knowledge flows well, where gaps remain, and where there may be room for further innovation and new partnerships.

Objectives:

Connect researchers and policymakers working on climate, peace, and security.
Highlight gaps and opportunities in the science-policy interface.
Share insights from interdisciplinary research under the XCEPT programme.
Encourage collaboration and new partnerships across sectors.

About the organisers:

This side event will be co-organised by the XCEPT research programme and the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), building on their shared commitment to interdisciplinary research and policy engagement.

The Cross-border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme brings together world-leading experts and local researchers to examine conflict-affected borderlands, how conflicts connect across borders, and the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour. Funded by UK International Development, XCEPT offers rigorous public good research to advance scholarship and inform policies and programmes that support peace.

With a dedicated research stream exploring the climate-conflict nexus, the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence and Trends (XCEPT) Programme has been actively fostering dialogue between scholars from diverse disciplines, practitioners, and policymakers in the CPS space and beyond. ZIF has been engaged on CPS since 2019, facilitating policy processes between EU and UN on this, as well as seconding German experts on CPS to UN, OSCE, EU and NATO positions. Since 2022, it has been also a partner for the Berlin Climate and Security Conference (BCSC).

Provisional programme:

Opening remarks: Tobias Pietz, Lead Climate Security and EU, Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF)

Moderator: Tabea Campbell Pauli, Independent Consultant and Former XCEPT Senior Programme Officer, The Asia Foundation’s Conflict & Fragility unit, and the X-Border Local Research Network in Myanmar.

Panel Speakers:

Dr Tobias Ide, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Murdoch University; XCEPT Conflict and Climate Research Fellow
Dr Cedric de Coning, Research Professor, Norwegian Institute for International Affairs (NUPI); Principal Investigator for XCEPT research on climate-related peace and security risks in the Lake Chad Basin
Kheira Tarif, Researcher, SIPRI Climate Change and Risk Programme
TBD (Policy expert)

Return to BCSC's 2025 official side events