Climate change is shaping our security environment and acting as a threat multiplier. The accelerating effects of climate change will have a substantial impact on global security, as extreme weather events and climate pattern changes stand to threaten human security, political stability and critical infrastructure — including military installations. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recently announced that a Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (COE) will be established in Canada. This effort is being jointly led by Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian Department of National Defence.
Defence Research and Development Canada, in cooperation with NATO’s Office of the Chief Scientist, will be hosting a series of interactive virtual workshops to advance the conversation on defining and enabling strategic science and technology (S&T) priorities on climate change and security, in advance of a larger fall workshop. The workshop program is supported by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).
The first S&T scoping workshop will take place on June 27 from 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT. Participation in the inaugural workshop will be restricted to officials from NATO member countries, NATO partners, and representatives from other NATO COEs (such as the Centre on Maritime Research and Experimentation). In later workshops, as the focus of our effort is determined, we look forward to involving a broader network of international and national experts to address key NATO S&T priorities relevant to climate change and security.