Central Asian Climate Policy Pledges Under the Paris Agreement: Can They Be Fulfilled?
The Central Asian region has been and will continue to be significantly impacted by climate change and all the region’s countries have pledged nation- ally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement. This chapter aims to assess how likely Central Asian countries are to fulfil these pledges. To answer this question, we compare the NDCs to their respective national development programmes and historical trends. The results show that the countries of Central Asia vary in their ability to fulfil their pledges and that doing so will require structural changes to their energy systems, substantial investments in infrastructure and, most importantly, the alignment of their development plans with their declared climate goals. None of the countries have thus far engaged in structural reforms aimed at large-scale climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Energy Transition in Central Asia: A Systematic Literature Review
While there is abundant research on the expansion of renewable energy in developed countries, little attention has been paid to the decarbonisation of energy systems in Central Asia, despite the region’s vulnerability to climate change, its rapidly growing domestic energy demand and the abundance of natural resources essential for the energy transition. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the profile and trajectory of research on energy in Central Asia between 1991 and 2022. It finds that there was a shift from focusing on fossil fuels to clean energy around 2019–2020. However, despite recent growth, research on renewables and their significance in Central Asia is still sparse. This review indicates that while American and European researchers took the lead in this field in 2012, China, Japan, Kazakhstan and Russia have emerged as the leading contributors since 2016.
Critical Materials for Development: A New Trajectory for Norwegian Foreign Aid Policy
After over a year of war in Ukraine, the world experienced dramatic and negative ripple effects related to food, energy security and commodity markets. Global food and energy shortages are now leading to social instability, protests and conflict and putting increasing pressure on public finances. For instance, prices of basics such as oil and wheat are rising and resulting in severe food shortages in Egypt, Lebanon and Somalia. Low-income countries are likely to be hit hardest by increasing food and energy prices in the long run. As the war continues, various second- and third-order negative effects are likely to intensify.
Czech and Norwegian Perspectives on New Security Threats in relation to Russian War on Ukraine (CZECHNORSEC)
This project will examine how the war in Ukraine is about to change security perceptions in the Czech Republic and Norway....
Dealing with the challenge of political warfare in the COVID-19 and Ukraine war context (FLANKS 2)
This project will investigate how Nordic and Black Sea Region must be prepared to meet and deal with the challenges posed by political warfare....
Norway and Poland as actors in a changing security landscape (NORPOLFACTOR)
The aim of the project is to develop enhanced knowledge of the security-related challenges, risks and threats Poland and Norway face in their strategic environment in the aftermath of the Russian inva...
Book presentation: The Counterinsurgent Imagination
How and why counterinsurgent ideas persist, despite recurring failures?
Developing the evidence base for putative risk factors for violent extremist outcomes
We will take a closer look at the past decade’s scientific breakthroughs on professionalising the risk assessment and management of those vulnerable to radicalisation.
Theory Seminar: Interdisciplinarity & Terrorism Studies
Paul Gill is visiting NUPI to talk about a project which has a goal to make significant advances in increasing our understanding of extremist violence, and thereby reduce the risk for this.