Our Story
At the Center for Environmental Peacebuilding, we know you are forging a life of meaning by showing up for people—and the world—in the ways that matter most. Living up to that chosen responsibility requires protecting people, many of whom are at risk for exploitation and living without a safety net.
But we believe these problems are products of systems and that the community champions who are striving to change them can do so—with the right information, connections and support.
That’s why we seek out prospective changemakers in the most at-risk communities and support their work.
Our Background: The Syrian Paradigm
Our work began with a detailed evaluation of the crisis in Syria, where a confluence of environmental and political problems sparked ongoing civil war.
In Syria, if drought was the spark that ignited the mass conflict, loss and destruction, it was poor agricultural policy and compounding geopolitical factors that provided the fuel for widespread destruction. What we now know is that missed prevention opportunities could have prevented those issues to begin with.
The conflict ultimately resulted in 6.6 million refugees, an estimated $1.2 trillion in costs, and more carbon emissions anually than most countries.
The Center for Environmental Peacebuilding was founded to prevent disasters such as the Syrian conflict—before they even begin.
That’s why we identify at-risk regions and bolster potential vulnerabilities before they reach crisis point
Vision
Our vision is to contribute to the creation of a sustainable world in which the goals of human security, well-being of the population, stable governance, environmental conservation and climate change adaptation are addressed together.
Mission
Our goal is to break and prevent cycles of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict by ensuring that the most vulnerable communities receive support.
Role
We recognize that we are working within a global network of institutions, organizations and individuals with similar goals. Thus, our contribution to this shared mission is to identify the places where climate impacts will lead to the strongest results – in time to avoid crisis, through climate risk analysis and the promotion of climate adaptation and resilience.