As the European Union advances its green transition, it also faces an important opportunity to strengthen its approach to peace and conflict prevention. EPLO has addressed this issue in a letter to EU leaders outlining how climate action and peacebuilding can be more closely connected.
Climate change, environmental degradation and conflict dynamics are increasingly intertwined, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Policies that aim to address climate challenges must therefore be designed carefully to avoid exacerbating existing tensions while supporting resilience and inclusive governance.
In the letter, EPLO highlights several priorities. These include increasing climate finance for fragile contexts, ensuring that EU climate action is conflict- and gender-sensitive, strengthening partnerships with civil society organisations, and building stronger internal capacities within EU institutions. Together, these steps could help ensure that the EU’s green transition contributes not only to sustainability, but also to lasting peace.
