Burcu Hızlıoğlu - 20070411006

CLIMATE CHANGE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: A FIVE-

PRONGED RESEARCH AGENDA

The field of international relations now represents a system that confronts worldwide
problems which go beyond traditional norms of state sovereignty rights and political and
economic cooperation as well as solutions to diplomatic matters. The insufficient
recognition of climate change has been a global issue that threatens our planet and
human beings despite lacking attention throughout recent years. Climate change exists
now in a stage where its substantial role in international relations is still not recognized
because it threatens to cause permanent destruction if people fail to address it.

Its importance remains unnoticed because people fail to recognize its significance apart
from the disciplinal structural dynamics in international relations. Major academic
journals from the field published minimal content about climate change between 2015
and 2019 since climate change articles comprised smaller than 1% of all published
papers. Unresolved climate-related international relations problems arise due to
insufficient scholarly study of this topic. Academic scholars and researchers risk facing
rapid growth in their inability to understand and properly explain global climate change
dimensions through the current trends.

Sovereignty

Territorial integrity stands as a fundamental element of state formation and we refer to

this element as sovereignty. The growth of climate change threatens the established
concept of sovereignty. The process of polar ice melting due to global warming creates a
direct threat to the boundaries established by states. The anticipated consequences of
Greenland ice sheet melting will lead to a 6-meter sea level rise while Antarctic ice
melting could potentially cause up to 60 meters of sea level increase. A few island nations
must consider their total disappearance because of rising seas.

Multiple nations including China India along with Indonesia possess extensive ocean
border territory which elevates the possibility that their governments will need to move
millions of people from their present locations. Territorial boundaries of states face direct
danger because of the elevation in ocean levels brought by climate change. The current
sea rise demands new boundaries for coastal areas that must be redrawn which results
in alterations to exclusive economic zone limits.

The weakening of sovereignty occurs through both non-traditional methods like natural
events such as extreme weather and rising sea levels. The climate modification
approaches of geoengineering can cause unwanted side effects that establish fresh
spaces for conflict and competitive interaction between states.

Security

Security functions as a significant domain which experiences fundamental changes

because of climate change. The international order needs absolute emphasis on
identifying security triggers because security remains a debated issue yet preventing
potential harm requires utmost attention. Climate change which became worse due to
globalization today stands recognized as an environmental danger while experts
anticipate it might spark violent clashes between cultural worlds. The consequences
related to human security and food security are identified as threat amplifiers.

Days ahead climate change will produce water shortages that could trigger conflicts
among nations having problems attaining sufficient water resources. Inadequate policies
for equal, lasting and efficient management of water resources between states creates
significant dangers that these resources will becoming a source of conflict which
threatens regional security and global stability. Fifteen distinct water conflicts between
Myanmar and Indonesia have escalated into armed attacks against regional water
facilities.

Climate change presents threats that are equivalent to state and terrorist threats
according to the Myanmar–Indonesia example where drought-induced insecurity affects
both states equally.

The order that states place on climate change depends on their security objectives which
generates varying interpretations of threats between allied forces when crises emerge.
The United States faces the challenge of overseeing Middle Eastern and African migration
matter that has persisted throughout the last fifteen years toward European soil. What
measures will the Netherlands adopt to handle its sea-level rise threat since the country
faces potential military threats from Russia?

The potential migration waves resulting from rising sea levels are likely to emerge as an
even more significant issue in the coming years. These developments also raise critical
questions regarding the roles that developed countries will assume and the actions they
will take in response to such crises.

Geopolitics of Energy

The effects of climate change will modify global economic systems to a notable extent.
The most crucial geopolitical factors also form a substantial economic proportion of the
global economy. Oil has enjoyed prominence in the center of economic operations
throughout the last hundred years. Is rising adoption of renewable energy set to remove
oil's position as the leading energy source? The significant presence of Norway along with
Russia and Saudi Arabia as robust global oil exporters has directed their military planning
and international power status through substantial oil market income. The ongoing
refrigeration trend because of climate change will lead to a reduced military influence and
strategic worth of nations that produce oil. International relations are expected to elevate
nations which hold substantial renewable power capabilities while also carrying
important mineral resources that support sustainable energy development. The
European move away from Russian energy supplies during the renewable energy
transition would strongly harm Russia's economic well-being. The economic condition
along with foreign power projection capabilities of Russia will suffer deteriorating effects
both domestically and internationally if these changes materialize.

Status and Reputation

The international system depends heavily on the exchangeability between economic

resources and diplomatic power for determining status worthiness and reputational
position. A state's political setup defines how far its economic power can extend in
political matters although economic wealth turns into political authority. International
reputation of Canada and Norway as "do-gooders" faces a threat of negative impact
through their oil exports. Since oil and gas play a principal role in their wealth creation
process their generous reputation abroad may be at risk of modification. For instance,
Equinor, Norway’s state-controlled energy company, was reprimanded by the United
Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for branding natural gas as “low-
carbon.” Moreover, Equinor's offshore drilling activities in Australia have become the
target of civil society campaigns. In this context, it remains an important question how
maintaining a high carbon footprint might erode a country's international status. How will
the status of liberal international states like Canada and Norway be affected if they
continue their oil and gas production despite their professed commitment to global
environmental goals?

Norms and Coalitions

Climate change has caused states to unite into voluntary coalitions that address the
battle against environmental degradation. International relations now emphasis
voluntary and bottom-up initiatives because non-state actors and private initiatives have
steadily increased their authority. State behavior analysis through normative approaches
has emerged as a crucial field for study alongside other developments in this field.

The current climate change environment features strong potential for "greenwashing"
abuse by actors who present deceptive environmental claims. Exporting natural gas
presents lower carbon emissions compared to coal yet still qualifies as a fossil fuel; does
this action follow climate change ethical principles? Investing in renewable energy
through money obtained from fossil fuel revenue sources stands in conflict with climate
change ethical standards.

More aggressive coalitions are expected to form because the climate change threat grows
more severe. Member coalitions within climate agreements seek to establish limits on
non-members until they join and meet environmental objectives through economic trade
restrictions. Two opposing groups are bound to emerge naturally. Countries dependent
on oil exports which consume a lot of coal or perform deforestation for agricultural growth
can unite as political groups against alternative climate change strategies.

Strategic approaches used for the U.S.–China competition and NATO–Soviet Bloc rivalry
would be improper for these confronting sides because political dynamics demand
separate approaches. Security experts currently assess that extensive open conflict
remains a viable risk. State intervention becomes necessary because the death toll from
climate change impacts surpasses any other form of conflict including invasion and
terrorism and cyberattacks. Policymakers may develop military-based solutions to stop
greenhouse gas emission production and protect rainforests and control population
movements related to climate change.