Since its inaugural edition in 2019, the annual Berlin Climate and Security Conference (BCSC) has established itself as the leading global forum connecting governments, international organisations, researchers, civil society, and practitioners working at the intersection of climate change, peace, and security. Building on the momentum of BCSC–New York – convened in April at the German Permanent Mission to the UN, –the eighth annual BCSC, themed "A climate for security, freedom and prosperity", will identify practical solutions to the defining climate security challenges of our time.

Strategic goals for BCSC 2026

1. Accelerate the integration of climate security risk into decision-making across sectors and governance levels – bringing insights from BCSC–New York 2026 into dialogue with defence and security actors, civil society, researchers, the private sector, and finance communities, with a view to informing COP31, the UN Water Conference and other international fora.
2. Build concrete coalitions and partnerships that bridge traditional divides – between diplomacy, defence, and development; between multilateral commitments and national action; and between established and emerging actors – advancing cross-sectoral cooperation on energy security, the just transition, and climate-positive reconstruction in conflict-affected contexts.
3. Generate actionable policy and financing recommendations that translate political will into delivery – identifying practical pathways to mobilise finance in fragile contexts, connect climate security assessments to prevention and financing, and strengthen the capacity of a wide range of actors to integrate climate risk into their core mandates.
4. Show that national security and human security need to be considered together– making the case that investing in climate resilience, human security, and sustainable development strengthens hard security, and building the evidence base to shift political and institutional thinking accordingly.

Click here for more information about BCSC 2026

Highlights from BCSC-New York | April 2026

BCSC-New York at a glance | April 2026

Conference Summary | More information

BCSC-New York provided a strategic platform for analysis and forward-looking dialogue on how the broader UN system can more effectively integrate climate security considerations into conflict prevention, peacebuilding and sustaining peace efforts.

BCSC-New York's Strategic Goals

1.    Mapping the current landscape of UN engagement on Climate Peace and Security (CPS) in various formats
2.    Exploring opportunities to leverage existing multilateral mechanisms
3.    Making the UN system fit for purpose in addressing CPS challenges and delivering on the UN80 initiative

The conference was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, with support from adelphi global, and in partnership with the Climate Security Mechanism and the Group of Friends on Climate and Security.