The Climate Crisis: Does It Unite or Divide Humanity?

How do the concepts we use to discuss the climate crisis shape our thinking? In this episode, we explore different approaches to framing climate change in policy debates, such as viewing it as a national security issue or a tool for achieving peace. We also examine the EU's record in reducing its CO2 emissions and the upcoming UN climate conference, COP 29. Additionally, we discuss the inequalities in the environmental footprint of different nations: often, those who have contributed most to global warming are suffering the least from its consequences. Without overlooking the environmental impact of war and conflict, we turn our attention to Ukraine and Russia, particularly the latter's approach to environmental protection. Finally, we analyze climate policies from a geopolitical perspective, discovering that abandoning old dependencies often leads to the creation of new ones.

Guests:

Sophia Stanger is the Focal Point for Environmental Peacebuilding at the Austrian Centre for Peace. Her expertise lies in the intersection of environment/climate and conflict resolution approaches and she is managing capacity building projects. Sophia Stanger has many years of experience in NGO work, project management and team leadership, for example in the fields of education, humanitarian advocacy and volunteer missions. Sophia Stanger is also a qualified trainer and facilitator. She is a yoga practitioner, loves outdoor sports and hosts her own feminist book podcast.

Sabrina Kaschowitz is a senior researcher at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe in Vienna. Her research focuses on the nexus between climate change and international security through a feminist and decolonial lens. She first joined the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) as a project officer in the Lebanon office in Beirut, where she focused on socio-economic justice. She also works with Women Without Borders on youth deradicalisation prevention projects with vulnerable communities. Before joining FES, she worked in civil-military cooperation, cultural diplomacy and trauma-focused psychotherapy for refugees. She is passionate about languages, as a key to cultural sensitivity and awareness, allowing her to explore different ways of thinking and perspectives that enrich her work.

Moderation:

Marylia Hushcha, researcher and project manager at the IIP.

This episode was recorded on 25 September 2024.