The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent (R2P2): A Climate Security Governance Framework for the 21st Century

The report argues that current global governance structures are inadequate for the security risks posed by climate change despite advanced predictive capabilities. It identifies three primary gaps: a lack of standardized global information, a disconnect between climate messengers and security audiences, and a lack of coordination between climate and security policy. To resolve these, the authors propose the R2P2 framework, which includes the creation of an International Climate Security Assessment Panel (ICSAP), the appointment of a UN Permanent Representative for Climate and Security to lead a Climate Security Center (CSC), and the establishment of a UN-level Climate Security Coordination Mechanism (CSCM).

• The authors identify three critical gaps in the international governance of climate security risks: the absence of a standardized global information hub and accepted future projections; a disconnect between climate change messengers and the security audiences required for action; and a lack of global governance mechanisms to align international climate policy with security actions.
• To address the information gap, the report proposes the 'Assessment & Anticipation' principle, which involves creating standardized and credible global climate security assessments. This would be implemented through the establishment of an International Climate Security Assessment Panel (ICSAP) responsible for regular reporting.
• To bridge the gap between climate information and security decision-makers, the report suggests the 'Elevation & Translation' principle. This involves appointing a UN Permanent Representative for Climate and Security to lead a new Climate Security Center (CSC) and provide recommendations for international action.
• The report proposes a 'Coordination & Alignment' principle to synchronize international climate and security policy windows. The recommended mechanism for this is the creation of an intergovernmental 'Climate Security Coordination Mechanism (CSCM)' at the UN level.

APA

Werrell, C., & Femia, F. (2019). The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent (R2P2): A Climate Security Governance Framework for the 21st Century. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2019/11/06/report-the-responsibility-to-prepare-and-prevent-a-new-climate-security-governance-framework/

Chicago

Werrell, Caitlin, and Francesco Femia. The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent (R2P2): A Climate Security Governance Framework for the 21st Century. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2019. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2019/11/06/report-the-responsibility-to-prepare-and-prevent-a-new-climate-security-governance-framework/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Werrell |first1=Caitlin |last2=Femia |first2=Francesco |title=The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent (R2P2): A Climate Security Governance Framework for the 21st Century |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=6 November 2019 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2019/11/06/report-the-responsibility-to-prepare-and-prevent-a-new-climate-security-governance-framework/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{werrell2019responsibility, author = {Werrell, Caitlin and Femia, Francesco}, title = {{The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent (R2P2): A Climate Security Governance Framework for the 21st Century}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2019/11/06/report-the-responsibility-to-prepare-and-prevent-a-new-climate-security-governance-framework/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }