On 17 June 2025, the College Europe in Natolin hosted the student-led 6th Natolin Climate and Energy Transition Nest Conference organised by the Natolin Climate and Energy Nest under the title:
“The Climate Crisis: A Multifaceted Security Paradigm”
Concept
The climate crisis has been recognized as one of the greatest peace and security threats of the 21st century. In today’s world, where we are confronted with the convergence of climate change, political instability, and geopolitical tensions, security, and its various facets, has become paramount. This vital need to debate the climate and peace nexus has become even more apparent in light of the outbreak of a number of protracted conflicts that have been partially or fully induced by climate and energy security motives. This could be seen in the causation of Russia’s full- scale invasion of Ukraine, which structural origins have, in different capacities, highlighted the multifaced links between energy, climate and security. This conference provided a platform to discuss, debate, and shape a vision of security that aligns with the realities of a warming world. Together, we aimed to craft strategies that not only address immediate threats but also build resilient societies capable of withstanding the unpredictable challenges of tomorrow.
Theme
Keeping in mind the College of Europe’s commitment to continuously inspire thought- provoking discussions around the most pressing issues on the global stage, the Climate and Energy Transition Nest chose the topic “The Climate Crisis: A Multifaceted Security Paradigm”, as the central theme of its annual conference. Our intention was to delve deeper into the effects of the climate crisis on the existing security paradigms. The aim of this conference was to broaden and deepen the understanding of energy- and climate-related security threats to explore broader, and often interrelated, domains that are crucial for a more resilient future of Europe and the world. The main questions that the conference were meant to explore in more detail include but not limited to:
- How does climate change trigger the security events and has the understanding of security been altered in the shadows of climate change?
- What are the impacts of climate change on infrastructure, social stability, economic resilience, food production, and healthcare systems and thus undermine the security?
- Could the extended concept of security radicalize the concept of sustainability; where the protection of the planet will be in the security interest?
Topics
This conference assumed that security is, in essence, a comprehensive and multi-faceted concept encompassing not only the protection of borders but also the preservation of essential systems on which modern societies depend. The climate crisis reveals weaknesses in infrastructure, social stability, economic resilience, food production, and healthcare systems. Therefore, the conference strived to explore key aspects of security in the age of climate crisis including but not limited to:
1. Social Security: The stability of societies is increasingly threatened by climate- induced displacement, policy stress on emission intensive industries, and resource scarcity, all of which can fuel social fragmentation.
2. Energy Security: The Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted Europe’s dependence on external energy sources, sparking debates on energy sovereignty and the urgency of energy savings as well as transitioning to renewable sources.
3. Economic Security: The economic ramifications of climate change disrupt supply chains, exacerbate poverty, and threaten financial stability. Accommodating economic resilience fosters approaches that prioritize sustainable growth, risk diversification, and climate adaptation.
4. Food Security: Climate change directly impacts food production, availability, and distribution, heightening the risk of shortages and price volatility. Resilient food supply chains are integral to security strategies.
5. Health Security: From heatwaves and air pollution to the spread of vector-borne diseases, climate change poses immediate and long-term threats to public health. Health systems adapt to these challenges, with a focus on prevention, preparedness, and inclusive healthcare access. Audience The conference is intended primarily for members of academia, scientists, researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and members of civil society hailing from one or more fields mentioned above, who are seeking to contribute to state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary research on the climate and energy-security nexus.
Audience
The conference was intended primarily for members of academia, scientists, researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and members of civil society hailing from one or more fields mentioned above, who are seeking to contribute to state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary research on the climate energy- security nexus.
The programme of the conference can be found here.