Climate security risks abound

March 28, 2025

Thank you to David Spratt for highlighting the issue of Climate Change and National Security. As independent Senator David Pocock has suggested, the government sitting on the Office of National Intelligence’s Climate Risk Assessment report since early 2023 is “recklessly negligent” (“Exclusive: Secret briefings on climate national security risk”, The Saturday Paper, 15/3). The public deserve to be informed and have the ability to hold the government accountable to act on such reports.

Commendably, independent MP Dr Monique Ryan recently hosted what was considered to be the first public forum about Climate Change and Security in Australia. Former Chief of the Defence Force Admiral Chris Barrie and your reporter, Australian climate risk policy expert David Spratt, spoke candidly about the severity of climate risks on our national security. It’s alarming. I am, however, even more concerned about the lack of political engagement. Hard conversations need to be had.