Climate Diplomacy of the Gulf Monarchies: Leverage and Power Tool

For several decades, the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman and Qatar — have been increasingly involved in issues related to climate change. This involvement reflects not only an awareness of the risks associated with climate change, but also a recognition of climate as a tool for foreign policy and influence. This note, divided into four parts, analyses the climate diplomacy of the Gulf monarchies as a lever of influence and a tool of power, both in multilateral and bilateral contexts.

This note from the Defence and Climate Observatory examines the climate diplomacy of the Gulf monarchies as a lever of influence and a tool of power. It looks at the Gulf Cooperation Council states’ exposure to climate risks and their responses (I), the commitment of these states to global climate multilateralism, highlighting this multilateralism as an area of influence for their climate strategies (II), and the link between climate issues and the foreign policy of the Gulf States on the African continent, highlighting the logics of environmental cooperation as much as influence (III). Finally, on the basis of these analyses, the note proposes three prospective scenarios, accompanied by strategic recommendations for the Ministry of the Armed Forces (IV).