Speaking at the UN Security Council in New York on 6 November 2025, the UK’s Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Archie Young, argued that while progress has been made since the Council first debated climate security in 2007, the risks are accelerating and demand sharper action. He set out three priorities: better analytics and early warning for climate–conflict risks, climate risk management across UN operations including peacekeeping, and mobilising finance at scale.

Early warnings are the fastest, fairest way to cut loss of life and livelihoods from extremes that are growing more frequent. The World Meteorological Organization reports that only around half of countries have adequate multi-hazard early warning systems today, and shows that such systems deliver high returns on investment. Independent work for the Global Commission on Adaptation finds that each dollar invested in early warnings can pay back several times over and that timely alerts can significantly reduce damage.

The science backs the UK’s framing of climate as a risk multiplier rather than a singular cause of conflict. IPCC AR6 concludes that climate variability and extremes are associated with higher prevalence of low-intensity organised violence, with risks rising where poverty, weak governance and marginalisation are present; it also stresses that conflict in turn deepens vulnerability to climate hazards. That is a sober read, but it points directly to practical risk reduction.

Turning analysis into anticipation, the UK highlighted support for the UN’s Complex Risk Analytics Fund (CRAF’d), which connects crisis data and AI to help partners act earlier. CRAF’d lists the UK among key contributors and says over US$40 million has been committed so far, helping shape billions in crisis finance to arrive faster and more precisely where it is needed.

The statement also urged the UN to mainstream climate risk assessments and environmental stewardship in missions, with the Climate Security Mechanism-jointly run by DPPA, UNDP, UNEP and now DPO-providing the technical backbone to field teams. The mechanism deploys experts, builds capacity and supports country-level risk management so that political and development work is informed by up-to-date climate–security analysis.

On operations, greener power is no longer a nice-to-have. The UN Department of Operational Support reports that by July 2024, about 10% of electricity in field missions came from renewables, up more than threefold since 2017; 41% of sites had access to renewable power; and diesel used for electricity fell 13% per capita, saving roughly 15 million litres a year. These gains lower costs, cut pollution and keep missions running when fuel supply lines are disrupted.

UN peacekeeping leaders say moving away from diesel also reduces risks to personnel by cutting fuel convoys and improves resilience for host communities when clean power infrastructure is left in place. The programme’s focus is clear: do no harm, raise ambition, and leave a positive legacy. That alignment with the UK call strengthens the case for investment in solar and storage across mission sites.

Finance is the third leg. The UK’s International Climate Finance portfolio reports it has, since 2011, directly supported more than 137 million people to cope with climate impacts, provided 89 million with improved access to clean energy, and strengthened the resilience of 33 million people-alongside emissions reductions and mobilised capital. Those outcomes are the kind that reduce pressure on fragile settings before crises escalate.

The wider system is moving too. Multilateral development banks delivered a record US$137 billion in climate finance in 2024, but demand still outstrips supply in the most vulnerable places. The signal for 2026 is clear: pair more predictable public finance with de-risking tools that crowd in private investment for adaptation and clean energy in fragile contexts.

Why urgency matters is visible in today’s humanitarian data. The Global Report on Food Crises found over 295 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2024, driven by intersecting pressures of conflict, climate shocks and economic stress. Investment that stabilises food systems, water access and early action is therefore a security investment as well.

The UK statement rightly notes that women and children are often most affected. IPCC findings show vulnerability is higher where poverty and governance gaps persist and among groups facing inequality, including women and girls. Designing early warning, climate services and energy access with them as decision-makers-not just beneficiaries-improves outcomes.

What happens next will define whether climate becomes a driver of instability or an accelerator of peace. The UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative aims to protect everyone on Earth with multi-hazard alerts by end-2027. Meeting that target, expanding renewables in peacekeeping, and scaling finance like the UK’s ICF are realistic steps the Security Council can champion and track. Progress is measurable-and within reach.