Climate, peace and security in the Sahel: What role for the EU?
On 19 June 2025 from 8:30-11:00 CEST, ECDPM and Search for Common Ground organised an in-person public event in ECDPM office in Brussels to discuss the role of climate-sensitive peacebuilding (or environmental peacebuilding) in the climate-security agenda of the EU.
Climate change is often described as a ‘threat multiplier’ and considered a key threat to sustainable development, peace and stability in the Sahel. Yet, research increasingly shows that environmental challenges can also open pathways for dialogue, mediation, and conflict-sensitive resource management and sustainable development. Despite efforts to integrate climate, peace, and security –such as the EU’s Joint Communication on the Climate-Security Nexus– recent policy trends show a shift towards (hard) security and defence, with diminishing attention (and funding) for climate-sensitive peacebuilding initiatives, particularly in external action.
In collaboration with Search for Common Ground, ECDPM has analysed the current impact of climate change in the Sahel, possible implications of security policy shift of the EU, and implications for supporting climate-sensitive peacebuilding. This event –the first in a two-part series concluding in October 2025– convenes EU policymakers, member state representatives, and peacebuilding practitioners to put environmental peacebuilding and climate resilience higher on the EU climate-security agenda, and showcase effective implementation in fragile and conflict-affected settings, particularly the Sahel.
Discussions will address how the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) could better support integrated responses to climate, peace and security, how to strengthen EU climate-security policies, and key implementation challenges in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
The outcomes of the discussion will then feed into a policy brief, which will be published shortly after the event.
ECDPM staff involved
Agenda
08:30 - 09:00
Arrival and welcoming coffee & breakfast at ECDPM
09:00 - 09:05
Welcome and Introduction by Search for Common Ground
09:05 - 09:15
Presentation of preliminary findings of first policy brief
- Sara Gianesello, Policy analyst and gender and youth focal point at ECDPM
09:15 - 10:00
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Sophie Desmidt, Associate Director, ECDPM
Panelists:
- Róisín Drury, Programme Manager, Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI)
- Marie Lena Groenewald, Policy officer, the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)
- Francis Sala-Diakanda, Regional Director for West Africa, Search for Common Ground
- Annemarie Van der Avort, Director Environment and Climate, Belgium Development Cooperation
- Chantal Marijnissen, DG INTPA, Head of Unit - Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources
10:00 - 10:40
Moderated Q&A Session
10:40 - 10:50
Closing Remarks
- Lisette Frandsen Albrechtsen, Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU