Climate Change and Climate Wars in the Anthropocene

The nexus of climate change and sustainable developmentSustainable development is increasingly pervading debates in the AnthropoceneAnthropocene, along with environment conflicts and climate warsClimate wars. Past narratives on global warmingGlobal warming show both activism and denialism; however, science is crystal clear that climate change and global warming result from the impacts of human activities on atmospheric conditions. While several inquiries on the present stateState of the planet underline how inaction on earlier warnings about the threatsThreats posed to the earth by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissionsGreenhouse gas emissions, few studies are dedicated to uncovering the potential of environmental peacebuildingPeacebuilding to prevent further degradationDegradation of the structures that support life on earth. This chapter pinpoints two major frameworksFramework for humanity’sHumanity prosperity and that of future generations: (1) planetary boundariesPlanetary boundaries framework and (2) environmental peacebuildingPeacebuilding theory. The latter consists of (i) understanding and addressing environmental conflictsEnvironmental conflicts and violenceViolence; (ii) defining, conceptualising and contextualising climate wars, (iii) exploring and implementing environmental peacemakingEnvironmental peacemaking processes; (iv) utilising the tenets of environmental justiceEnvironmental justice and social justiceSocial justice as means to respond to climate-induced conflicts; and (v) deepening the notion of care, protection and stewardshipStewardship of the environment. Based on literary research design and methods, the chapter found that sustainable developmentDevelopment and prosperity of future generations are underscored by humans’ ability to rise about selfish lucrative interests, denialism about scientific evidence of climate change’s root causes, developing conscientious stewards of the earthEarth, and bridging environmental peacebuildingPeacebuilding theory and sustainable development.