At the specialized session “Climate Security: Essentials of Climate Policy in Iran, experts discussed the conceptual, policy, and legal dimensions of climate security and Iran’s role in international climate governance.
Hojjat Mianabadi, faculty member at Tarbiat Modares University, emphasized:
- A clear definition of “security” is essential to understand climate security.
- Questions such as “Security for whom? By whom? Against what threat? Through which measures?” guide policy and implementation.
- Iran currently lacks a central actor in climate affairs and no institutional consensus exists.
- Addressing climate and water challenges requires a single authority and national agreement.
Azam Amini, faculty member at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, added:
- Before discussing the climate regime, the concepts of security and peace regimes must be clarified, as climate security intersects both.
- While the security and peace regime has enforceable backing via the UN Security Council, the climate regime lacks such legal guarantees.
- Recent ICJ rulings may open new pathways to consider climate threats within human security frameworks.
- Iran’s inactivity or non-compliance internationally could be threatening, but also offers opportunities, as sanctions can be cited as obstacles to implementing climate commitments, paving the way for bilateral or multilateral cooperation.
The session, held on November 4, 2025, at KHANA, highlighted that achieving climate security depends on interdisciplinary understanding of security, law, and policy. The lack of a central authority and institutional consensus is a major challenge, while developments in international law provide both risks and opportunities for redefining Iran’s role in global climate governance. Regional cooperation and mitigation of sanctions’ effects could open new pathways for national climate policy.
