How to handle climate security and trade in times of multiple crises

The document outlines the need for sustainability science to integrate geopolitical realities, warning that the deconstruction of the multilateral trade system and the race for green technology could marginalize developing nations. It emphasizes that the EU must address cross-border climate risks, particularly within the food system, and ensure that the transition to a net-zero food system maintains food security and preparedness. Furthermore, it highlights the extreme vulnerability of the 46 least developed countries (LDCs), which suffer disproportionately from climate change despite minimal emissions, and urges careful design of trade mechanisms like Carbon Border Adjustment to avoid harming these nations.

• Sustainability science must incorporate geopolitical relevance because stability and security are essential prerequisites for sustainability, and collective climate action requires an understanding of complex geopolitical tensions.
• The current multilateral trade system is being dismantled, necessitating a re-evaluation of rules to ensure a fair system that supports sustainable development without leaving certain global regions behind.
• The EU faces significant cross-border climate risks due to its extensive imports and high position in the value chain, despite having low domestic risks; this is particularly evident in the food system, which accounts for approximately one-third of human-activity greenhouse gas emissions.
• The transition to a sustainable food system must simultaneously address food safety and 'food preparedness' through national, EU, and global regulations, as nations can no longer rely solely on imports for food security.
• The 46 least developed countries (LDCs) are disproportionately affected by climate change, accounting for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 but experiencing around 69% of climate-related deaths over the last 50 years.
• LDCs are highly dependent on trade, with nearly 50% of their GDP derived from it and almost half of their exports consisting of mineral commodities, making them vulnerable to unilateral actions such as Carbon Border Adjustment.

APA

Bergh, J., & Lubick, N. (2023). How to handle climate security and trade in times of multiple crises. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/session-brief-2-think2030-1.pdf

Chicago

Bergh, Jessica, and Naomi Lubick. How to handle climate security and trade in times of multiple crises. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/session-brief-2-think2030-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bergh |first1=Jessica |last2=Lubick |first2=Naomi |title=How to handle climate security and trade in times of multiple crises |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=20 April 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/session-brief-2-think2030-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bergh2023how, author = {Bergh, Jessica and Lubick, Naomi}, title = {{How to handle climate security and trade in times of multiple crises}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/session-brief-2-think2030-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }