As climate change becomes more prevalent and impactful on businesses, society and the environment, military operations will be put at higher risk due to more volatile and unpredictable shocks. The ability of organisations such as the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to operate efficiently and safely in this context will be tested. The MOD is also facing internal climate-related challenges, accounting for 50% of the central government carbon emissions profile. With climate change set to transform ‘the way we protect, operate and fight', the Armed Forces must step up to this previously overlooked challenge and adapt to the rapidly changing context.

Climate change as a threat multiplier in the national security domain is well understood – it exacerbates instabilities and threatens peace by evoking resource competition, governance breakdown, civil unrest and energy-related geopolitical tensions.

There is little consensus, however, on how to align defence forces to address these threats while maintaining the primacy of mission-critical capability. The MOD’s challenge is not only decarbonising their own operations but also understanding how climate change will further destabilise the world, and mitigating the associated risks. For the MOD to be recognised as a global leader in responding to the emerging geopolitical threats exacerbated by climate change, sustainability must become a strategic objective.