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Global Climate Change and Its Impacts

Simultaneously, uneven distribution of renewable energy resources sparks new geopolitical
competition. Countries with abundant solar and wind resources gain advantages in renewable
energy development, while resource-poor nations employ diplomatic and economic means to
access these resources or technologies, exacerbating international resource competition.
Territorial disputes are also profoundly impacted by climate change. Rising sea levels
pose direct threats to the territorial sovereignty of island nations and coastal states. Island
countries like the Maldives face submersion risks, with their habitable territories continually
shrinking. Under these circumstances, island nations may develop disputes with neighboring
countries over Exclusive Economic Zone demarcation and marine resource exploitation in
international affairs as they strive to protect their territorial rights. In polar regions, climate
warming accelerates glacier melting, improving navigation conditions for Arctic shipping
routes and triggering competition among nations for territorial sovereignty and resource
exploitation rights in the Arctic. Countries including Russia, Canada, and the United States
have intensified military presence and infrastructure development in the Arctic region, assert-
ing sovereignty claims over islands and waters along Arctic shipping routes, thereby escalat-
ing risks of territorial disputes.
Climate change-induced migration flows pose new destabilizing factors to internation-
al security. In regions severely affected by climate change, such as Africa’s Sahel region,
intensified droughts have caused agricultural decline, leaving numerous farmers without
livelihoods and forcing them to migrate. Theseclimate refugeesflood into neighboring coun-
tries, placing immense pressure on host nations’ social stability, public resource allocation,
and security management. Hos-t countries may experience conflicts with immigrant groups
due to resource scarcity, cultural clashes, and other issues, potentially triggering social un-
rest. Europe’s recent intake of large numbers of climate refugees from the Middle East and
Africa has fueled rising xenophobic sentiments in some countries,far-right-wing forces gain
momentum, impacting the political ecology and social stability of European nations while
altering regional security patterns.

II. New Trends in Climate Diplomacy and International Climate
Cooperation

Against the backdrop of climate change, nations are adjusting their diplomatic policies,
with international climate cooperation demonstrating new trends and evolving multilateral/
bilateral mechanisms.
Multilateral cooperation mechanisms have always occupied a central position in
international climate governance, but new development trends have emerged in recent years.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris
Agreement serve as the cornerstone of global climate governance. Under this framework,
countries actively participate in international climate negotiations to jointly establish
global emission reduction targets and action plans. Over time, multilateral cooperation

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