Safety/Climate/Environment

A Workshop on Building Transdisciplinary Collaboration toward a Safer Climate

In this one-day workshop, organized by Safer Climate in collaboration with Historians without Borders in Finland, we look at the connections between climate change, the environment and security from a transdisciplinary perspective. The event is a part of the 4th annual Impact Week of the ACCC-flagship, organized in Cultural Center Sofia in Vuosaari, Helsinki, 22-25.4.2025.

You can follow updates and see the detailed schedule closer to the event on this website.

We welcome researchers, civil society organization representatives, private sector actors, security experts, activists and artists alike to share information, find new approaches and explore collaboration opportunities. How do researchers in natural sciences and humanities/social sciences approach issues related to climate security? What kind of examples and possibilities are there for adopting a truly comprehensive security - or safety - approach that includes research, civil society engagement, social justice and psychosocial safety? How are climate change, the environment and conflicts related? What can we learn for the future from taking a historical perspective?

Climate change causes and multiplies risks that vary from extreme weather phenomena to worsened social injustices, political tensions, and beyond. To cope with these changes and uncertainties, it is important to discuss different understandings of security, safety and preparedness in relation to climate change and research. Different actors such as universities and research institutes, the European Commission, NATO, the OSCE and numerous humanitarian and non-governmental organizations are working with issues related to climate and security. Scientists are gathering and analyzing complex data about the effects of war on climate and the environment but often there exists no shared language or forum around the topic for different actors.

The increased tendency to discuss climate change and the environment in the security context has also raised concerns about increasing securitization and militarization of climate change and the environment. The session invites participants to explore critical takes on security and related issues such as economic and colonial power dynamics.

The consists of invited expert presentations and joint group discussions. Note: this session is on-site only and follows the Chatham house rule. Discussions will be documented (anonymously) and proceedings of the session will be shared with the participants after the event.