Climate geopolitics and its worldwide repercussions toward a reconfiguration of power relations in the twenty first century

Abstract

Climate change is now understood not only as an environmental phenomenon but also as a variable capable of transforming the conditions under which power is exercised, territorial vulnerabilities are distributed, and states define their strategic priorities. This article examines the geopolitical repercussions of climate change and asks how it contributes to reshaping power relations in the twenty-first century. The research adopts an interdisciplinary, predominantly qualitative approach based on documentary and conceptual analysis combining geopolitics, international relations, climate security and international law. The analysis shows that climate change should not be understood as an autonomous cause of rivalry, but rather as a factor transforming the conditions in which power and sovereignty are exercised. This transformation is particularly visible in competition over low-carbon technologies, critical minerals, supply chains and newly strategic spaces. The Arctic provides a particularly useful field of observation because the rapid transformation of its environment brings together climate change, resources, maritime routes, the law of the sea and strategic competition. The article concludes that climate geopolitics does not replace classical geopolitics; rather, it transforms its variables, scales and instruments, while reinforcing the need for international governance capable of reconciling competition and cooperation.

JEL Classification : F59, Q54

Paper type: Theoretical Research