Page 22 - IB July 2018

Climate Change

Climate

“an existential

security risk”

Coastal erosion is a real threat in Tuvalu. Photo: Netani Rika

tralia needs to catch up with the United Dr Michael Thomas is a leading analyst
States and United Kingdom on climate of climate and security policy. He served
policy. In 2015, former Chief of the ADF for twenty years as an officer in the Aus-
Admiral Chris Barrie argued that “Austra- tralian Army and is now a Senior Fellow
lia’s defence force is lagging significantly with the Centre for Climate and Security
behind its US and UK counterparts in in the United States.
By Nic Maclellan preparing to deal with the challenges cre- Dr. Thomas told Islands Business he
ated by a changing climate.” welcomes the debate created by the Sen-
FOR many years, Pacific island govern- However, Australia’s political elite is ate report: “The Defence response to the
ments have been arguing that climate divided over climate policy, with senior Senate inquiry, to my understanding, is
change is not just an environmental chal- government ministers in denial about the the most comprehensive and consoli-
lenge, but also affects national and human need for urgent action. The governing dated statement that the ADF has made
security. They’ve lobbied, unsuccessfully, Coalition parties are still debating the in- regarding climate risk. There are no real
for the United Nations Security Council to troduction of a National Energy Guarantee, new initiatives, no ground-breakers, but
take up the issue of climate change and while resisting any moves to reduce coal overall, the fact that Defence has sought to
security. exports (some backbenchers - including progressively embed climate change into
The major powers have resisted this call, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott - are its core business functions is an important
but the debate is slowly widening. Defence even proposing that the government fund step that was not evident a decade ago.”
forces and strategic planners in Australia, the construction of new coal fired power The Senate report analyses three key
New Zealand and the United States are stations). areas where climate change and security
beginning to address the threat of climate In contrast, the new report on climate are interconnected.
change to national and regional security. change and security from the Senate For- Firstly, climate change poses significant
A recent Australian Senate inquiry on eign Affairs, Defence and Trade References problems for Australia’s military and
“The implication of climate change for Committee highlights the debate under- police forces, affecting the health of ADF
Australia’s national security” highlights way within the defence and emergency personnel and threatening defence assets
the many ways the military is being services bureaucracy. The Senate report (such as ports and coastal naval installa-
pressed to bump climate action up their discusses climate change as “a current and tions menaced by sea-level rise and storm
agenda. existential national security risk” - much surges).
Some leaders of the Australian Defence stronger language than is commonly used Secondly, the ADF will be required to
Force (ADF) have long argued that Aus- by politicians in Australia! respond to increasing calls from island

22 Islands Business, July 2018