Weathering Risk at the Munich Security Conference 2024

15 February, 18:00 - 19:30
Resilient Horizons: Charting a Course for Climate Change and Implications for Global Security
Where: Amerikahaus Munich, Karolinenplatz 3, 80333 Munich
Register | Watch the live stream
In recent years, the world has experienced a convergence of extreme weather events, food and energy crises, and global competition for critical resources, all highlighting the profound security implications posed by climate change. The international nature of these challenges necessitates enhanced cooperation among global actors (both public sector and private sector) to find effective and long-lasting solutions. In the face of these challenges, the Bertelsmann Stiftung, in collaboration with the German Foreign Office and U.S. Department of State, has orchestrated a panel discussion featuring U.S. and German experts working at the nexus of climate and security affairs. The panel will engage in a wide-ranging dialogue, addressing key issues such as the intricate links between climate change and security threats, exploring effective policy responses, examining technological innovations, and fostering discussions on cooperation and partnerships to build a resilient future.

Welcome Remarks: 
• Dr. Daniela Schwarzer, Executive Board Member, Bertelsmann Stiftung 
• Kate Guy, Director for Climate Security and Cross Cutting Issues at the Office of the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry

Keynote Speaker: 
• Sarah Ladislaw, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate and Energy, National 
Security Council, The White House 

Panelists: 
• Iris A. Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience, U.S. Department of Defense
• Katarina Kertysova, Climate Security Officer, Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber Division, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 
• (TBC) David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee
• Dr. Kira Vinke, Head of the Center for Climate and Foreign Policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) 
• Janani Vivekananda, Head of Programme Climate Diplomacy and Security, adelphi

Moderator: 
• Senior Advisor and Executive Vice President, Bertelsmann Stiftung 

17 February, 13:30 - 15:00
Navigating the shift: Security challenges in a multipolar world
Where: Amerikahaus Munich, Karolinenplatz 3, 80333 Munich
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This panel discussion on how to address security challenges in a multipolar world is organized by the Academic Association for Security Studies (BSH) and the Munich European Forum e.V. It addresses topics such as the impacts of climate change on security and the role of diplomatic discourse.

Panelists:
• Benjamin Pohl, Head of Programme Climate Diplomacy and Security, adelphi
• PD Dr. Frank Sauer, Senior Research Fellow, University of the Bundeswehr Munich
• Oberst Markus Reisner, Austrian historian, military expert, officer of the Austrian Armed Forces serving as commander of the Gardebataillon and member of the Board of the Clausewitz Netzwerk für strategische Studien (CNSS).
 

Featured experts:
Janani Vivekananda is Head of Programme Climate Diplomacy and Security at adelphi, where she specialises in climate change and peacebuilding. Her work to-date involves designing and conducting participatory and inclusive research on climate-related security risks and responses, promoting risk informed responses, and increasing the capacity of governments and civil society to integrate climate and conflict risk into policies and field projects.

Benjamin Pohl is Head of Programme Climate Diplomacy and Security at adelphi where he focuses on the impact of global environmental change on foreign, security and development policy. He is responsible for the topic areas foreign policy, diplomacy, and water cooperation and has been working for five years at the interface of peacebuilding and global sustainable development.  The core challenge in his projects often comes down to the constructive management of conflicts of interest in the face of limited natural resources.

More information on MSC 2024