By Tim Epple and Amelie Overmann

This briefing explores Germany’s role in advancing climate-sensitive peace mediation. Mediation theory and practice is starting to adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis and climate action. The briefing sets out key challenges associated with making peace mediation more climate-sensitive, including the risk of overloading peace negotiations with an additional topic, the unfavourable mediation environment, and the lack of financial resources. The briefing discusses Germany’s track record of engagement at the intersection of climate change and mediation, and its potential to be a key thought leader, mediator, enabler, and funder in this field. Germany has the opportunity to build on its pioneering work in this area over the last two decades to responsibly and inclusively advance climate-sensitive mediation.

Key recommendations

• Center concerns of those most affected by the climate crisis and conflict in mediation policy and practice.
• Develop guidance on integrating climate change into analysis and mediation efforts.
• Establish a stand-by roster of climate experts.
• Adapt funding volume and modalities to the climate-mediation nexus and fund interdisciplinary research and mediation projects.
• Champion the climate-mediation nexus at the international level.
• Mainstream climate change issues into domestic and international mediation policy and practice.
• Reinforce Germany’s credibility in the climate mediation space.