NORFOLK, VA – During the 2023 Summit in Vilnius, NATO released three major reports on NATO climate change strategy, including current strategic environments, best practices, and guidelines on adaptation. Additionally, Canada has agreed to host a new Centre of Excellence on Climate Change and Security, supporting NATO’s increasing role in climate security.
During the NATO Summit in Vilnius, climate change and security were key topics, with during the signing ceremony of the Operation “Climate change is an existential threat to the future of our planet, and therefore, it matters to our security. NATO is not, and should not, be absent from any new facets of this new definition of security…NATO cannot remain a fossil fuel Alliance in a renewable age,” shared Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană.
In 1969, NATO first recognized environmental challenges by establishing the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society, which managed studies and fellowships on issues like air and noise pollution, health care, and hazardous waste. Since then, NATO has continuously addressed environmental security and climate change issues. During the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, NATO released three major reports on climate strategy:
- 2023 Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment: A series of case studies highlighting weather conditions as they pertain to operational stress, military equipment degradation, and potential pathways for future operations.
- Compendium of Best Practice: A collection of Alliance-wide efforts on climate change adaptations, including energy efficiencies, sustainable technologies, and innovations for climate-related capability requirements.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mapping and Analytical Methodology: Guidelines and tools for emission measurements, including civilian and military infrastructure. These methodologies will help NATO reduce negative climate impacts.
Allied Command Transformation, NATO’s Warfare Development Command, carefully considers environmental changes when equipping and preparing NATO’s Military Instrument of Power to handle climate considerations of the future. These strategic reports and concepts include better understanding of climate trends, as well as academic and industry partnerships, addressing environmental issues such as climate terrorism and geoengineering. Additional, NATO will soon have a Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence, hosted in Montreal, Canada, as part of the larger NATO Centre of Excellence portfolio that offers subject matter expertise and experience to NATO forces.