Articles

Editorial

The fight against climate change is not merely a question of ecological necessity but a question of economic reason. It is a question of generational equity, a question of compassion and a question of humanity and its future.

From Opposition to Adaptation

Energy Security and Economic Change as Drivers of a New Climate Policy in the Gulf?

For a long time, the conservative position of the Gulf States in international climate diplomacy was considered an obstacle to climate protection, as the profits from the lucrative trade in oil and gas ensured economic prosperity and political stability. The breakthrough of the COP21 negotiations in Paris, however, has provided indications of cautious change, driven above all by increasing concerns about the countries’ own energy security and falling returns from oil.

On the Wrong Track?

German Climate Policy after the Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement has stimulated the German debate about climate protection and has once more drawn further attention to issues like the ''Energiewende'' (energy transition) or national climate targets. But what derives from the Paris Agreement for Germany? How can Germany contribute most effectively and efficiently to the development of global climate protection – and how rather not?

Security Risks from Climate Change

New (Old) Conflicts in Latin America

Climate change has gained a firm hold on Latin America. Hurricanes, melting glaciers, droughts and flooding are the aspects that grab the media spotlight. The increasing risks to the electricity supply and the growing adaptation pressure in the megacities are slower to come to public attention. In addition, worsening conflicts over water and land use pose new security policy challenges.

Trump is Simply the End Product

The Polarisation of U.S. Politics Is the Culmination of Long-Term Trends

At the beginning of the U.S. primaries, the candidacies of political outsiders Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders invoked laughter among the political establishment in Washington. But the possibility of a candidate such as Trump actually ending up in the White House can no longer be ruled out. This article addresses a number of factors in the polarisation of U.S. politics and society and will illustrate that this is the result of long-term trends.

Where Putin’s Russia Ends

“Novorossija” and the Development of National Consciousness in Ukraine

In early 2014 the existence of an independent Ukraine hung by a thread. Russia had annexed the Crimean Peninsula, and with the “Russian Spring” a “hybrid” war in eastern Ukraine was initiated. At this moment the watchwords of “Novorossija” and Moscow’s “reconquering” of South-Eastern Ukraine gained popularity. Ultimately, the failure of the idea of a “Novorossija” is attributable mainly to developments within Ukraine that involved a renegotiation not only of ethno-national allegiances, but also of national and political loyalities since 1991.

Bandits or Terrorists?

The Abu Sayyaf Group between Economic Interests and Religious Ideals

The Abu Sayyaf Group was designated as a terrorist organisation by the U.S. State Department at the end of the 1990s. The Philippine authorities followed suit in September 2015, more than 15 years later. The group made several references to its links to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Nonetheless, this article argues against its reckless tagging as an “Islamic terrorist organisation” by some, thereby calling for a more scrupulous approach in dealing with the complex conflict situation on the ground.

Between Vision and Reality

Perception of the ASEAN Economic Community in Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia

On 22 November 2015, the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided to form an economic community. The integration process thus initiated might unleash further growth potential in the already dynamic region. However, whether a regional consciousness or even a common regional identity will develop in the process, remains to be seen.

Dirty Entanglements

Global Terrorism and Organised Crime

Terrorist financing is now heavily reliant on diverse forms of criminal activity and illicit trade. Funding can result from petty crime such as seen in the recent attacks in Western Europe to multi-million dollar financing resulting from the Islamic State’s (IS) oil smuggling. Only multi-faceted approaches can seek to curtail this funding.

Editorial

Preserving that which is worth preserving does not mean cementing the status quo. Anyone seeking to preserve something valuable in the long term must improve it cautiously, yet continuously. This applies as equally to politics as it does to a publication such as International Reports (IR), which is presenting itself in a new form in this issue with its focus on the "Globalisation of Terrorism".