Environmental challenges know no borders – Foreign policy for a habitable planet
What obstacles is there in solving the climate crisis? Who is responsible for saving us from it? Does it matter what we do locally and nationally? What role does foreign policy play in reaching the goal? WWF, J.M. Stenersens Forlag and NUPI invites you to a mini-lecture with David Wallace-Wells and a panel discussion on the importance of a greener foreign policy.
Theory seminar: States and Nature – The Effects of Climate Change on Security
Joshua Busby, University of Texas-Austin, will present the main argument and empirical work from his draft book manuscript.
NUPI Podcast: Iran can prevent ship attacks, but has no incentive to do so, says Iran FM
“Sending naval vessels to the Persian Gulf, with the clear aim of confronting Iran, will not bring security,” Mr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, told NUPI audience.
Norsk utenrikspolitikk i en varmere verden
Despite the fact that political leaders describe the climate crisis as the biggest challenge of our time, it plays only a marginal role in Norwegian foreign policy. We analyse how the transition to renewable energy, increased migration flows, reputational risks to Norway and challenges to international organisations such as the UN, EU and NATO will change the conditions for Norwegian foreign policy. We describe how three different climate scenarios – quick transition (A), slow transition (B), and no transition (C) – will affect Norwegian foreign policy. We show that the scope and efficacy of Norwegian foreign policy will be constrained in all three scenarios and conclude that the overall priority for Norwegian foreign policy should be to prevent dramatic climate change, as it undermines Norwegian welfare and security. We conclude by discussing the implications for foreign policy strategy, stressing the need for close integration with the EU, and for stronger cooperation with China.
BRI in Central Asia: Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Extraction and Processing Projects
Mineral resources is the sector that receives most Chinese investment in Central Asia. China and its Central Asian partners pursue both strategic and commercial goals by promoting projects in the minerals sector. Kazakhstan hosts the largest number of projects and receives the largest amount of Chinese investment. The second largest recipient of financing is Turkmenistan, where several big projects are implemented.
BRI in Central Asia: Energy Connectivity Projects
One of the strategic objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Central Asia is to provide China with alternative import/export and energy supply routes. This data article shows that the presentation and coverage of BRI projects varies considerably from country to country. The largest number of BRI projects in Central Asia are implemented in Kazakhstan and are in the oil and gas sector. By contrast, Turkmenistan is implementing only a few Chinese energy projects, though they are large-scale and its sum of investment is the second-largest of the Central Asian states.
BRI in Central Asia: Overview of Chinese Projects
This data article summarises the analysis of 261 Chinese projects in Central Asia. The findings indicate that trade promotion and industrial development are the sectors where there is most BRI-related activity in Central Asia. The total number of projects in these areas approximates the number of projects in all other areas combined. These sectors also receive most investment. In terms of the number of implemented projects, roads is the second key sector, followed by energy. However, due to larger project sizes, energy receives more funds than roads. The majority of Chinese projects in Central Asia are bilateral.
Hydropower Potential of the Central Asian Countries
This data article surveys the hydropower potential of the five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The dataset presents the theoretical hydropower supply capacity of all the river basins of Central Asia. It was prepared using data from national and international sources, and it provides information on installed small and medium hydropower capacities and planned projects in the above-mentioned countries.
Solar Power Potential of the Central Asian Countries
This data compilation surveys the solar energy potential of the five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It also provides data on installed and planned solar power capacity in these countries.
Wind Power Potential of the Central Asian Countries
This data article surveys the wind energy potential of the five Central Asian countries; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The dataset presents the theoretical wind power supply capacity in the region as well as existing wind power installations.