Environmental Issues

Climate and weather are overlooked agents in geopolitics. They govern the production of agriculture, disrupts supply chains and, in some cases, takes lives. And the ways in which climate changes will dramatically, if unpredictably, affect the behavior of nations, especially the behavior of those that have fewer resources than others. In some cases, however, change will come slow, and when it does the more immediate political and economic concerns will overshadow and even impede measures to mitigate it. How countries’ adapt to these changes, however, will depend not only on the advancements in new energy technologies but also on the affordability of current ones.

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Rows of solar panels are seen at a Tekno Ray Solar farm on Sept. 13, 2018, in Konya, Turkey.

Assessments Sep 28, 2018 | 10:00 GMTSep 28, 2018

Why More Global Corporations Are Betting on Renewables

Environmental concerns and long-term uncertainties surrounding fossil fuels are driving a business case for green energy.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands at the first conference of the International Solar Alliance, a cooperative effort their countries launched in 2015.

Assessments Aug 22, 2018 | 18:35 GMTAug 22, 2018

Will India Find Its Place in the Sun With Solar Power?

The country is capitalizing on its solar power expertise to try to increase its influence abroad through the International Solar Alliance. But translating renewable energy into soft power will be no easy feat for New Delhi.

An undated photo shows Hasankeyf, an ancient city on the banks of the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey that will be inundated as part of the Ilisu dam project.

Assessments Jul 18, 2018 | 09:00 GMTJul 18, 2018

Iraq's Water Crisis Gives the Public One More Reason to Protest

Along with a failing economy and a stalled political transition, water shortages are driving people to the streets in southern Iraq.

Snapshots Jul 16, 2018 | 17:23 GMTJul 16, 2018

Global: Consultancy Projects Oil Demand Will Peak in 2036

Wood Mackenzie's forecast suggests the global transition away from fossil fuels may be progressing more rapidly than expected thanks to improving fuel efficiency and alternative vehicles.

The Villanueva plant in Mexico is the size of 40 football fields, making it the largest solar plant in the Americas.

Assessments Jun 27, 2018 | 09:00 GMTJun 27, 2018

How Renewable Energy Will Change Geopolitics

The global shift toward renewable energy sources is already underway, and it will be no less transformative than the rise of coal or oil before it.

Wind turbines spin alongside the Drax power station, the biggest coal-fired plant in Europe.

Assessments Feb 16, 2018 | 09:00 GMTFeb 16, 2018

In the Energy Sector, a New Kind of Hybrid Emerges

Rather than competing against low-carbon technologies, fossil fuel companies are increasingly working to incorporate them, creating a new class of energy firms.

Cape Town declared a drought disaster in May 2017 as Gauteng province battled its worst water shortages in over 100 years.

Assessments Feb 1, 2018 | 09:30 GMTFeb 1, 2018

Cape Town Water Crisis: The Countdown to Day Zero

As Cape Town prepares for potential water rationing, underlying economic and political schisms will bubble to the surface.

The world's business and political leaders are gathering this week in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.

Guidance Jan 23, 2018 | 00:03 GMTJan 23, 2018

Catching Up With the Global Elite in Davos

To help readers with the discussions going on at the World Economic Forum, Stratfor offers these articles on demographic, economic and political trends.