Climate change is one of the most prominent and pressing issues of our time. It’s our duty as mediators to understand climate change’s effects on our work. Climate change has had a unique impact on conflicts of all scales– from simple arguments between family members over the temperature of the thermostat to fueling armed conflicts in regions where there is resource scarcity. The increase in temperature in our climate is hitting new records. This increase in temperature is heating up conflicts across the globe. So what can we do as mediators to help keep the cool? This article seeks to understand the unique impact climate change has on conflict and how mediators can recognize the climate’s specific role in conflict.

From Macro to Micro: How Climate Change Increases Conflict

We have all seen the headlines of rising temperatures. According to NASA’s climate statistics, 2023’s average temperature was 1.36 degrees Celsius (2.45 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial average temperature. This has caused an increase in heat, drought, severe weather events, rising sea levels, loss of species, and other ecological issues to occur. In turn, these ecological issues have affected humans who have been dependent on the regular climate patterns of previous centuries. Climate change has caused resource scarcity for many societies across the globe, one of the largest impacts on recent conflicts. Climate change’s impact on resource distribution has been a main driver of conflict between nations, local governments, and person-to-person. 

Case Study: Radishland

Let’s create an example of this. In an imaginary nation named Radishland, radishes are the main export of the nation. However, rising temperatures due to climate change have caused rain to occur less frequently and more sporadically in Radishland. This has caused radish farmers to use more groundwater and buy up more land to produce the same yield of crops. Since the government of Radisland subsidizes radish farming as it is an industry of national importance, radish farmers have the money to keep up with growing water prices and the money to buy more land. This has caused conflict with the sheepherders in rural Radishland as there is less grazing space for their sheep. However, more conflict is felt in urban Radishland where water prices have become unaffordable. This has led the citizens of Radishland to back a candidate that opposes the radish farmers which in turn causes radish farmers to back a different candidate causing further divide in Radishland. This imaginary example is actually unfolding in the real world now. As mediators, it's our duty to recognize how climate change can cause conflict, and sustain it for long periods. As the world transforms around us, how can we help parties shape lasting solutions to conflicts caused by a constantly changing climate?

Understanding the Root Causes of Climate-Related Conflict

When mediating disputes it's important to recognize if any component of a conflict is being exacerbated by climate change. For example, if there is a labor dispute between a construction company and a construction union over pay and working conditions, look for hidden clues of climate impact. Is the union seeking higher pay due to extreme heat? Do they want hazard compensation due to extreme weather conditions? Are they asking for sheltered space and access to potable water during shifts? 

When mediators recognize aspects of the conflict as climate-related, they will become more equipped in helping to identify areas of conversation in mediation the other side may have missed. Building upon the higher wages example, if heat continues to rise and pay is adjusted to compensate construction workers then it will cost more to build houses. Let’s say there is an agreement where the construction company and union have work stoppages when heat reaches a certain threshold. This means it will take longer for housing to be built in areas with extreme heat. If housing takes longer to build, now more community members will be impacted as the area is rapidly growing. Now more stakeholders are involved in the conflict. Ultimately, climate change can have a domino effect on conflict. 

Recognizing how climate change impacts conflicts can help mediators navigate during the meditation to help parties resolve these emergent issues. One important area of climate conflict to note is the challenge of resolving a conflict that can compound if climate change is not taken into account.

Let's take a look at another example. Two roommates argue over the thermostat, one wants it to be cooler, but the other wants it to be set at a higher temperature. The problem is, they split the bill. If energy prices continue to rise and so does heat in the region where they live, how can the conflict be resolved if the material conditions of the conflict compound? These shifts in conflict both large and small caused by climate change add specific details to conflict. Climate change can create conditions in conflicts that may seem unexpected or hidden at first glance. It’s our job as meditators to understand the conditions of the conflicts we mediate. 

Active Listening in Climate-Related Disputes

It’s easy for anyone, including mediators to get in a rut and not recognize underlying issues in a conflict. That’s why active listening is so vital in conflict management. How to actively listen in conflict is something discussed in countless previous IMA articles. Here are just a few of those conflict resolution active listening tips we’ve shared over the years: 

• Ask open-ended questions 

• Offer silence and let the other person speak 

• Pay attention to how they’re communicating via body language and tone of voice 

• Jot down your thoughts if you’re tempted to interrupt 

• Minimize toxic positivity 

• Avoid making assumptions 

• Refrain from giving advice 

• Remove distractions that hinder listening 

• Don’t derail the conversation 

• Be aware of your listening filters 

• Stop rehearsing your response when they’re talking 

• Don’t become defensive 

• Recognize when playing devil’s advocate impedes your ability to listen 

• Don’t use conflict avoidance tactics such as agreeing with everything 

• Reflect on the underlying emotions of the other person 

• Listen for their needs and interests 

• Avoid judging the person or what they’re saying 

• Tune into your own emotions 

• Stop making comparisons with the other person 

• Adopt a “learner” mindset and listen with curiosity 

• Minimize derailing behaviors that impede your ability to listen 

• Try reframing or restating what is being said 

• Listen with a fresh and less subjective perspective 

• Download our active listening skills checklist 

In cases of climate-related conflict, it is easy to miss key details that can transform the understanding of the conflict at hand, and understanding these complexities is a necessary skill for mediators in today’s world. Active listening also aids parties in conflicts to create open dialogue. This is important in climate-related conflict as climate change can cause lasting conflict necessitating sustained dialogue between parties.

Ways to Keep Your Cool in a Dispute, Literally

In a previous IMA article, we discussed how heat can affect communication in interpersonal conflicts. When arguments are heating up, ask yourself is the weather too? Notice if the temperature is playing a role in communication between you and others around you. This can allow you to take a step back from an argument and cool off, defusing a heated conversation before it reaches a boiling point. Oftentimes, a conversation can be had later when we are clear-headed and under A/C. Noticing how our environment shapes our communication can improve our conflict resilience and preserve relationships. So next time you are mediating a conflict ask yourself if climate is playing a role, and listen to details that may reveal if a dispute is climate-related.

Mediators’ Role in Addressing Climate Change

Mediators play a pivotal role in addressing climate change-related conflicts by facilitating dialogue, promoting understanding, and forging agreements that promote sustainability and resilience. Through expertise in conflict resolution and negotiation, mediators contribute to building a more collaborative approach to tackling the complex challenges posed by climate change. As we strive for a sustainable future, the work of mediators will remain crucial. 

At IMA you can improve your mediation skills through our courses and better hone your ability to navigate complex conflicts. By building confidence in conflict resolution, whether as a mediation practitioner or just by applying mediation skills, you can learn how to recognize the effects of climate change on conflict. 

Have you noticed ways in which climate change has impacted disputes in which you mediated? Let us know how you will bring climate-conscious conflict resolution and mediation into the world around you.