Climate & Security

The world is witnessing with increasing frequency weather-related catastrophes. Wildfires, floods, extreme temperatures, and windstorms are altering the dynamics of our world and increasing human insecurity.

While armed conflicts and both new and old technologies threaten peace and demand our persistent attention, we can no longer ignore the ways in which they intersect with – and interact with – the climate emergency.

Some examples:

  • Climate change exacerbates resource scarcity, igniting conflict.
  • Climate breakdown can trigger forced migration, contributing to instability and conflict.
  • Military operations contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Conventional warfare destroys entire ecosystems.
  • The immediate and long-term ecological devastation of a nuclear detonation or exchange would be cataclysmic.

War and tech threaten peace—but climate change multiplies the danger. This crisis demands action now.
Together, we—governments, NGOs, and communities—can build solutions.

At Ploughshares, we’re exploring how climate change fuels conflict, reshapes security, and impacts vulnerable communities—while challenging excessive military spending and risky emerging technologies.

This is more than research; it’s a roadmap for a safer, more sustainable world.

Latest Publications on Climate & Security