The sustainability–peace nexus: why is it important?

Abstract

Sustainability and peace have long been recognized within academic and policy circles as intrinsically interrelated. Although there are some studies that examine impacts of sustainability on peace and vice versa, a specific focus on the sustainability–peace nexus remains marginal in academic and policy discourses, and pathways where sustainability and peace interact remain ambiguous. As a result, global initiatives on peace and sustainability remain fragmented. It is, therefore, crucial to identify the different components that mutually reinforce the desirable outcomes from sustainability and peace initiatives. This special feature of Sustainability Science aims to contribute to a better understanding of these components by highlighting the emerging discourses on the peace–sustainability nexus and the issues surrounding it. It includes articles that provide insights to better address issues at the nexus of peace and sustainability. Key takeaways for scientists and policy makers are that systemic approaches are needed to capture the multiple dynamic interactions between peace and sustainability; addressing issues at the intersection of peace and sustainability requires interactions between a wide range of stakeholders within and across various local, regional, national, and global scales; and international scientific collaboration is essential for comprehensive understanding of the interactions between peace and sustainability. We hope that this special feature will contribute to a better understanding of the complexities of the peace–sustainability nexus and provide insights into developing more effective solutions and strategies for making progress towards creating more peaceful and sustainable communities in the future.

Urban Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Development: A Review

“…As far as new natural areas are urbanized, loss of ES takes place while urban living facilities for humans increases. As a consequence of the increasing interest in SD, urban green infrastructure design, provision, maintenance, conservation and restoration are being more recognized as critical components of any holistic and realistic strategy for urban sustainability [7,8]. Urban zones acknowledged their huge contribution to global changes and increase their interest in contributing to sustainability by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and increasing their inhabitants' welfare [9].…”

The Role of Peace Attitudes on Sustainable Behaviors: An Exploratory Study

“…Sustainable consumption, crucial in balancing environmental, social, and economic consequences, involves purchasing eco-friendly products, reducing resource consumption, and prioritizing recycling [17]. In this context, pro-environmental behaviors have been defined as concrete actions, intentional or not, that have a positive impact on the natural environment [18,19].…”

Co-Benefits Through Coordination of Climate Action and Peacebuilding: A System Dynamics Model

“…At the same time, development agencies, research centers, and subnational governments may play a more active role in the transition and reconstruction phases, which involve implementing actions such as socio-ecological restoration, community-based natural resource management systems, local agroecology projects, nature-based solutions, and livelihood diversification. At a policy level, multilateral agencies, national governments, development banks, and other donors can coordinate policies leading to environmental peacebuilding actions by designing hybrid financial instruments and fostering, for example, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and climate adaptation plans with development models that contain cleaner value chains, land titling programs, sustainable and resilient food systems, and more equitable natural resource governance laws to overcome inequity (Krampe et al, 2021; Mosello & Rüttinger, 2019; Smith et al, 2019). Finally, inter-level coordination is also needed for programs that aim to reduce climate and conflict risks at the local level.…”

“…Recent studies highlight that better coordination between climate action and peacebuilding can generate significant social and environmental "co-benefits" (Bain et al, 2016;De Coning et al, 2021;Ürge-Vorsatz et al, 2014). However, there remains a need for further examination of the conceptual entry points for enabling joint climate action and peacebuilding as well as the potential social and environmental co-benefits that can emerge from such coordination (Amadei, 2021;Nicoson, 2021;Sharifi et al, 2021).…”

“…From a policy response perspective, United Nations bodies have sought to coordinate and prevent climate-related security risks by creating inter-agency initiatives, such as the Climate Security Mechanism (Smith et al, 2019; UNDP, 2020). However, there is still a need for holistic and systemic approaches to address climate security risks and pursue concrete interventions in a coordinated manner.…”