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Fossil fuel dependence now a direct threat to global peace, security, warns UN Climate Chief – EnviroNews
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At the United Nations General Assembly’s Informal Interactive Dialogue on Accelerating the Global Energy Transition held on Friday, July 24, 2026, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, delivered a stark and urgent message: the global shift to clean energy is no longer simply an environmental imperative – it is now central to peace, stability, and national security.
Speaking in New York after travelling directly from India, Stiell described a world where geopolitical conflict, volatile fossil fuel markets, and climate‑driven disasters are converging to create unprecedented risks for billions of people. Clean energy, he argued, is the clearest path out of this crisis.
Clean Energy as a Shield Against Global Turbulence
Stiell highlighted how recent conflicts have “taken an appalling human toll and choked global energy markets,” driving up prices and exposing the fragility of fossil‑fuel‑dependent economies. In contrast, countries that invested early in renewables – including Spain and Pakistan – have been “shielded from some of the worst effects of today’s fossil fuel cost crisis.”
He linked energy insecurity directly to food insecurity, noting that climate‑supercharged El Niño impacts, fertiliser shortages, and economic downturns have combined to threaten harvests and push food prices higher worldwide. For vulnerable populations, he warned, this means “staring down the barrel of more scarcity, and desperate hunger.”
A Fossil-Fuelled World Is a World of Instability
Stiell stressed that the dangers extend far beyond 2026. “A world addicted to coal, oil and gas is a world of economic uncertainty, unnecessary costs, and conflict,” he said, pointing to Southeast Asia’s projected $160 billion energy import bill this year.
As long as fossil fuels dominate global systems, he warned, the planet will continue heating – driving hunger, displacement, and resource scarcity, all of which “fuel conflict” and undermine peace.
Renewables: The Foundation of Peace and Prosperity
Renewables, Stiell emphasised, are now cheaper, faster to deploy, and more accessible than ever. They strengthen economies, reduce emissions, and build resilience – making them “the best conflict prevention tool we have.”
Governments increasingly recognize climate as a security issue, he noted, and the global energy transition is “irreversible,” as affirmed by all countries at COP30. But speed and fairness are essential: the transition must be faster, fairer, and just, ensuring benefits for all nations and support for communities historically reliant on fossil fuel revenues.
He also urged industries to act, citing the UN Secretary‑General’s call for every data centre to run on renewable energy by 2030 – a challenge he said major AI companies must meet by “supercharging efficiencies.”
Delivering COP28 Commitments
Stiell reiterated the commitments made at COP28:
- Accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels
- Triple renewable energy capacity by 2030
- Double energy efficiency by 2030
Achieving these goals requires strong regional cooperation – through power pools, cross‑border grids, and shared standards – and global cooperation led by the UN.
He underscored the importance of the Global Climate Action Agenda, which mobilises governments, businesses, investors, and civil society to turn commitments into real-world projects. Türkiye, the incoming COP Presidency, has already announced new Action Agenda targets, including a global electrification goal of 35% by 2035.
Electrification: A “Golden Ticket” for Stability
Stiell spoke personally about the stakes for small island developing states. In the Eastern Caribbean, fossil fuel imports averaged $440 million annually in 2021 – over 15% of total imports. Electrification, he said, offers a pathway to prosperity, stability, and reduced vulnerability.
He also called for progress at COP31 on adaptation indicators and the just transition mechanism.
Finance: The Engine of the Global Energy Transition
Stiell delivered one of his strongest messages on climate finance. Developed countries, he said, must honour their pledge to triple adaptation finance and deliver $300 billion per year by 2035, as part of a pathway toward $1.3 trillion annually.
He urged multilateral development banks (MDBs) to “step up,” emphasising that credit guarantees and risk‑reduction tools can unlock massive private investment, especially in developing countries where perceived risk inflates costs.
Countries need systemic support, not just project‑by‑project funding: stronger grids, better policies, improved regulation, and pipelines of bankable projects. MDBs, he said, are “ideally placed” to provide concessional finance, guarantees, and policy‑based lending – and must embrace this role.
A Call for the UN System to Integrate Climate Across All Work
Stiell emphasised that climate change underpins nearly every Sustainable Development Goal and intersects with peace, security, and economic resilience. The UN80 process, he said, is helping the UN system work more collectively across climate, conflict, and development.
He urged the General Assembly to embed climate, climate finance, and the energy transition across all its workstreams.
“Faster Energy Transitions Are Core to National Security”
In closing, Stiell delivered a clear warning – and a call to action:
“As the realities of fossil fuel dependency play out in real time, it is increasingly clear: Faster energy transitions are core business for governments, and core to national security strategies.”
He stressed that doubling down on renewables and resilience is in every country’s interest, and that action today is the foundation of long‑term peace and security.
“So together, let’s move forward.”
