Building Climate Resilience: OSCE Chairpersonship Event in Vienna

VIENNA, 2 May 2025 - Over 140 participants from OSCE Participating States, Partners for Co-operation, OSCE Institutions, civil society, and international organizations gathered in Vienna for the "Resilient Together in a Changing Climate" Chairpersonship Event, organized under Finland's 2025 OSCE Chairpersonship on 28 to 29 April 2025.

The event addressed the interconnected challenges of climate change, energy security, biodiversity protection, and political stability, emphasizing the need for comprehensive, inclusive approaches to enhance resilience across the OSCE area.

Opening the event, Vesa Häkkinen, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Finland to the OSCE, said, "The OSCE has been proactive in addressing the implications of environmental degradation, energy security, and climate change as part of its comprehensive concept for security." In recognition of this year's 50-year anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, he added that "respect for the OSCE's core principles must remain the basis of all action".

In her keynote, Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on Climate and Security Kerstin Stendahl underlined: "In today's turbulent world, the concept of the triple planetary crisis is evolving into that of a polycrisis, which includes other elements of discord such as wars, financial crises, social inequalities, and technological disruptions."

Bakyt Dzhusupov, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, focused on the need for resilient energy systems: "Developing climate-resilient energy systems that are adaptive, efficient, and innovative is essential - not only to confront rising challenges but also to advance secure, equitable, and reliable energy access for all."

Throughout the sessions, participants shared practical approaches to building resilience, discussed future scenarios for climate-related risks, and highlighted the importance of joint efforts across sectors and borders. The war against Ukraine featured in all sessions, with the Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine also appearing as high-level speaker.

A field visit on 29 April offered participants the opportunity to observe local initiatives integrating renewable energy generation with biodiversity protection, underscoring the importance of addressing both energy development and ecosystem preservation in the context of climate resilience.

Organized with the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, the event reflects Finland's 2025 Chairpersonship priorities to enhance security through a whole-of-society approach to environmental challenges, climate change, and sustainable development.