.

Back to Overview
Climate Change
Early Warning & Risk Analysis
Oceania & Pacific
20 September, 2015

Why climate change is Australia's greatest national security issue

Clive Williams

I recently gave my "National Security and Counterterrorism" Masters students a syndicate exercise at the end of their course requiring them to prioritise the most serious threats to Australia's national security (with national security being defined as safeguarding the "wellbeing" rather than "survival" of Australia – "survival" being more relevant to the Cold War era). 

They were given 13 threats or potential threats to consider: adverse global trends and challenges to the international system; terrorism and piracy; instability and failed or failing states; poverty, inequality, and poor governance; serious and organised crime; WMD proliferation; climate change; civil emergencies, including natural disasters and pandemics; state-led threats (such as rising powers and balance of power issues); competition for energy and resources; social cohesion; sovereignty issues (including illegal fishing and illegal entry to Australian waters and airspace) and; cyber threats. 

They then had to rank them by scale of impact, geographic proximity and urgency in time, and come up with a 1-13 list in order of priority.

For the complete article, please see the Canberra Times.

Source:
Canberra Times
Related Reading 
The US and Climate Security: The Need for Renewable Foreign Policies

The European Union is not the alone in exploring the means to address potential security implications of climate change. EU and Member States representatives met recently in Berlin, at a briefing session regarding this topic. Decision makers in the United States however, are also discussing this issue more intensively, as part of the dynamic national debate on the challenges of climate change and energy security. Led by the Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar, a Senate Hearing was held on “Climate Change and Global Security: Challenges, Threats and Diplomatic Opportunities” in July.

Read more
Civil Society
Climate Change
Global Issues
06 December, 2019

Inclusivity can be a powerful vehicle of climate action

Beatrice Mosello (adelphi) and Virginie Le Masson (ODI)

The momentum for climate action we are witnessing is extraordinary. Throughout 2019, millions of people took the streets all around the world to join the youth climate movement's school strike. Yet at this year’s most important climate politics meeting, the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, most governments were far from committing to sufficient action to avert dangerous climate change. Dr. Beatrice Mosello and Dr. Virginie Le Masson explain how to move things forward.

Technology & Innovation
Asia
05 December, 2019

China’s geoengineering build-up poses geopolitical and security risks

Dhanasree Jayaram, MAHE
As China advances its geoengineering capabilities, the security and geopolitical risks associated with these techniques for South and Southeast Asia need to be addressed urgently—and climate diplomacy can help.
Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
02 December, 2019

10 Twitter Accounts to follow for Climate Diplomacy news during COP25

Climate action is best achieved through multilateral efforts involving an array of actors and stakeholders. The news coming out of climate talks can also be as wide and varied. To keep you posted on the latest happenings surrounding COP25 we'd like to share with you 10 of our favourite Twitter accounts.

Climate Change
Security
Global Issues
26 November, 2019

The Climate Security Expert Network goes online

adelphi

If the United Nations is to effectively deal with climate-related security risks, it needs expert support from every region. That’s where the Climate Security Expert Network comes in.