Today is the international day for preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict. According to the UN, the environment has often remained the unpublicized victim of war.
New research published by Mistra Geopolitics and Stockholm University showcases the impact of geopolitical tensions on global climate politics, and the EU’s role in global climate governance.
“Climate diplomacy is now closely linked to geopolitical tensions. This is especially true for the EU, which is investing heavily in the green transition – at the same time as China is exploiting its strategic resources, such as rare earth elements, to promote its economic and security interests.”
– Lead author Niklas Bremberg, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University and researcher in Mistra Geopolitics.
The EU is often portrayed as an important international actor in global climate politics. Yet, a ‘return of geopolitics’ is said to undermine the EU’s climate diplomacy efforts to achieve effective multilateral cooperation to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
The authors of this journal article argue that there is more nuance to understanding the impact of geopolitics on global climate politics and the EU’s role in global climate governance.
EU climate diplomacy and climate change as a threat multiplier
EU was among the first major international actors to acknowledge the nexus between climate change and security already in the early 2000s, according to previous research by Bremberg et al. And, it has developed actions to address ‘climate security’ within its foreign and security policy ever since.
The authors analysis suggests that there is indeed an ongoing geopoliticization of EU climate diplomacy, albeit perhaps not enough to qualify it as a paradigm shift. Rather, climate diplomacy represents a case of a paradigm-reinforcing effect of geopolitics on EU policies.
However, their analysis also suggests that these framings are articulated alongside calls for new collaborative formats to advance climate action which seem more attuned to the needs of responding to the challenges of the Anthropocene, such as developments following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In that sense, the EU can respond to this new dynamic, albeit incrementally. Yet, it appears constrained by existing frames and institutions. While the findings here primarily relate to climate, the EU’s incremental shifts offer insights into its potential as a geopolitical actor in general.
This research analysis offers a ‘reality check’ of the EU’s ability to respond to these challenges, as formulated in the conclusions of the Council of the EU, the EU’s main foreign policy actor.
For interviews or information, please contact:
Ylva Rylander, Press Contact for Mistra Geopolitics, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
ylva.rylander@sei.org, +46 (0) 73 150 3384
Niklas Bremberg, niklas.bremberg@statsvet.su.se
Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Stockholm University
Associate Senior Research Fellow | Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Associate Senior Researcher | Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Authors and citation
Bremberg, N., Earsom, J., & Petri, F. (2025). EU climate diplomacy and the geopolitics of the Anthropocene. European Politics and Society, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2025.2576710
