Conflict, climate change, and fragility are overlapping crises in the Central Sahel, but responses are still disjointed. Through climate-sensitive initiatives centered on natural resources, environmental peacebuilding provides a means of promoting collaboration between opposing factions. By exchanging useful insights from the Sahel and making policy recommendations, the current brief looks at how the EU can support environmental peacebuilding. Despite acknowledging the connection between climate change and security, environmental peacebuilding is frequently suggested rather than explicitly mentioned in EU policy. The 2023 Joint Communication prioritizes defense and security over work aimed at promoting peace. New entry points are required to buck this trend. Platforms for policy engagement are provided by the Global Gateway and the green transition. The EU should incorporate climate and fragility concerns into its 2028–2034 financial planning, improve cross-sector coordination, and give peacebuilding top priority.
https://ecdpm.org/work/environmental-peacebuilding-climate-security-priority-eu-examples-sahel