Navigating Climate Change in Defence – Climate Risk Management Guide for Chiefs of Defence Staff

Undertaking climate action and implementing robust climate risk management in the defence sector has become indispensable. Climate change presents tangible consequences that threaten military staff, infrastructures and capabilities, as well as communities in the vicinity of military installations that provide the civilian services the armed forces depend upon. These effects are reshaping military operations. Manifesting itself as severe weather and climate events, in changing operating conditions and amplified security issues, climate change is affecting operational readiness and effectiveness. Moreover, it is permeating supply chains and resource availability, and is disrupting critical infrastructure, which indirectly carries significant consequences for the continuity and sustainability of the armed forces. Proactively embracing climate risk management not only prevents or reduces the potential for harm, damage and loss, but also cultivates adaptability and resilience that ensure acceptable functionality, especially during crises.

By bridging the gap between climate adaptation and risk management, and aligning with the EU's recognition of the link between climate change and security, this guidance supports Chiefs of Defence Staff to enhance climate resilience in their organisations, amidst climate uncertainty. It also provides a checklist allowing them to gauge the status of climate risk management in their organisation.