During the Climate Change and Resilience session of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue Forum, held in Beijing on August 12, participants from diverse backgrounds expressed their views on this globally crucial topic. Edited excerpts from their remarks follow: 

Thierry Meyrat 

Personal envoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President to China and head of the ICRC's Regional Delegation for East Asia 

Climate change and environmental degradation threaten the survival of humanity. All dimensions of our lives are affected, from our physical and mental health to our food, water and economic security. While the crises are impacting everyone, those who have contributed the least to the problem are hit the hardest, and it is only getting worse.

Among countries with enduring armed conflict and other violence, the vast majority are among the world's least developed and some of the most vulnerable to the climate crisis—Afghanistan, Somalia, Mali and Yemen. Such countries are vulnerable to drought, floods, insect plagues and changing rainfall patterns. Unfortunately, the list can be very long. The capacities of their populations to adapt to a changing climate are drastically limited. The acute vulnerability and severe capacity constraint show that they should be prioritized for climate action. In practice, countries in conflict are among those most neglected when it comes to climate action and finance.

Climate change does not directly cause armed conflicts, but it may indirectly increase the risk of conflict by exacerbating factors that can, in a complex interplay, ultimately lead to conflicts. Such factors include social exclusion, a history of conflict and grievances, economic risk, environmental degradation and tensions over the management of resources.

Countries affected by conflicts and violence tend to suffer from the absence of strong governments and inclusive institutions. Climate change may contribute to exacerbating and prolonging conflict and instability and aggravating communal violence by further weakening institutional systems and mechanisms.

With the absence of institutions able to mediate tensions and manage resources equitably, climate risk and environmental degradation can fuel local tensions and instability and contribute to shaping dynamics of violence, given climate risk and conflict in the Central African Republic, Mali and Iraq.

In the Central African Republic, people focus on the tensions between farmers and herders resulting from the limited capacity of authorities to regulate internal and cross-border movements. Iraq has seen tensions and episode of violence related to water sharing. In north Mali, people speak of internal tensions around access to resources. Adapted climate action in the regions is critical to reduce humanitarian needs, preserving development gains and avoid systemic breakdown and lasting fragility. Major and urgent political efforts to mitigate climate changes are critical to avoid the most devastating consequences of the crisis on people and their environments. 

The international community should acknowledge the high vulnerability to climate risks of countries enduring conflict due to their limited adaptive capacity, and live up to international commitments to bolster climate action in countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate changes. The action should be adequately supported by climate finance. No one can address these challenges alone. We must work together across the humanitarian sector and beyond to strengthen climate action.

Huw Slater 

Energy and climate specialist at ClientEarth 

ClientEarth, a London-headquartered environmental law organization, has supported the greening of China's overseas investment under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (a China-proposed initiative that aims to boost connectivity along and beyond ancient Silk Road routes). It's been a real priority for the last couple of years for the Chinese Government to try and encourage investment in green areas in countries that are partners along the routes.

East Asia is one of the major hubs of the global financial industry these days, and promoting green finance in this region is important. ClientEarth has provided training on capacity building for financial regulators and industry professionals in China on the latest development in green finance. It has been aligning standards for motor vehicle transportation emissions and green finance between China and the European Union.

Countries need to limit climate change by peaking emissions and reducing them as quickly as possible.

As the world's largest coal consumer, China has been working hard over recent years to control its coal consumption. The country has ambitious emission reduction targets, and it's encouraging that there's going to be a lot of work done to achieve those.

The international community needs to reduce emissions and make sure equity is at the heart of climate policies. The impacts of climate change are felt the most by the poor, and so are the impacts of the policies to reduce emissions. Governments need to make sure that the poorest communities are not affected worse than others. Those are two sides of a coin.

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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