Project
Mitigating Climate Change Threats to the Energy Sector in the OSCE Region
Quick links
- Project period:
- July 2023 - December 2025
- Implemented by:
- Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, OSCE Secretariat
- Fields of work:
- Environmental activities
Overview
As observed in numerous countries, the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, coupled with slow-onset events, such as sea level rise and extreme temperatures, present a significant security threat to the energy sector.
Climate change can impact the resilience of critical energy infrastructure, disrupt energy production, supply, and demand, and also undermine the energy transition efforts of OSCE participating States.
While awareness of these risks is increasing, many participating States remain insufficiently prepared to cope with the impacts of climate change on their energy systems. In particular, the lack of adequate climate data and expertise in applying such data to the energy sector prevents proactive and science-based adaptation and planning. This hinders efforts to protect existing critical energy infrastructure, design climate-proof systems, and enable a secure, sustainable and resilient energy transition.
Responding to these challenges, in 2023, the OSCE launched a new project designed to help energy decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders to identify, prevent, and address climate change-induced risks across the energy sector.
Project Components:
- Risk Assessment: mapping the scope of risks posed by climate change to energy systems in the different OSCE sub-regions
- Access to Climate Data: fostering access to actionable and localized climate projections that meet the needs of the energy sector
- Capacity Building: enhancing capabilities to read, interpret and use downscaled climate data to prepare energy systems for future climate realities
- Regional Co-operation: increase co-operation and information exchange among relevant national, regional and international climate and energy stakeholders
The project has been officially endorsed by 15 participating States across four OSCE sub-regions: Central Asia, Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean region, with potential expansion in the near future.
