UK Foreign Minister Calls Climate Change a National Security Issue

Governments must start treating climate change and nature loss as threats to national security, Britain's foreign minister said on Monday. Ed Miliband called for a fundamental shift from reactive disaster response to proactive risk management during the opening of Climate Week NYC.

Miliband, who served as the UK's energy minister until July, told an audience of policy and business leaders that the growing severity of extreme weather demands this new approach. He argued that climate breakdown should be a primary concern for foreign ministers, prime ministers, and the security community at large.

Climate breakdown, in my view, must be an issue for foreign ministers and prime ministers, as well as energy and climate ministers - the security community, not just the activist community, the generals, not just the green campaigner, Miliband said.

He urged governments to embed climate and nature considerations into national security systems, threat assessments, and contingency planning. Miliband also advocated for greater international information sharing, noting that climate shocks can rapidly propagate through global supply chains, financial markets, and migration patterns.

Global Leaders Echo Security Concerns

Other leaders at the event reflected similar concerns about climate impacts and volatile fossil fuel markets. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated his nation understands the dangers of global warming intimately due to its experience with intense bushfires, floods, and coastal damage.

With a record-breaking El Niño forecast, Albanese said Australia and Pacific nations are preparing for a potential summer of extreme heat and fires. He emphasized that the global community cannot afford inaction as scientific forecasts of worsening impacts become reality. Australia, which will lead negotiations at the upcoming COP31 summit, has brought the existential threat of sea level rise to Pacific island nations into diplomatic focus.

Panama's Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro highlighted the economic toll of climate change, telling reporters that drought linked to El Niño could cost the Panama Canal between $225 million and $400 million in lost income. Navarro called it a great irony that Panama, a small carbon-negative country, pays the price for the emissions of larger nations.

Building Resilience Through Investment

Think-tank experts showed the political case for integrating climate into security planning. Kaysie Brown of E3G stated that investing in global climate resilience and the clean energy transition is critical for enhancing stability and national security, especially with a record El Niño expected to heighten risks worldwide.

Suneeta Kaimal from the Natural Resource Governance Initiative noted a shift in framing from 'energy transition' to 'energy security' but said the underlying need for resilient energy systems remains unchanged. Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir illustrated this point by describing how her country responded to the 1970s oil crisis by patiently building a national geothermal heating system to insulate itself from future shocks.

New Global Electrification Target

At a separate event, UN climate chief Simon Stiell pointed to a new voluntary target expected at COP31. The goal is for 35% of global energy use to come from electricity by 2035, a strategy framed as a buffer against fossil fuel price shocks.

The Turkish COP presidency shared the final text of this electrification pledge, which highlights supporting developing countries with grid investment needs and finance. Stiell described the push for electrification as a varied strategy for development, industry, health, and security.

Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed called for renewed commitment to multilateral approaches to climate change despite current geopolitical tensions, stressing that progress requires active engagement from all voices.