A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR CANADA

The report argues that climate change is a national security issue for Canada, affecting its Arctic sovereignty, domestic disaster resilience, and international stability. It recommends establishing a Climate Security Task Force to coordinate a cross-agency response, adapting military infrastructure to sea-level rise and permafrost thaw, and leveraging multilateral institutions to manage global climate-driven fragility.

• Climate change poses direct risks to Canadian military infrastructure, including sea-level rise and coastal storm damage at Canadian Forces Base Halifax and Esquimalt, as well as permafrost thaw affecting runways and ice roads at northern installations like CFS Alert.
• The increasing frequency and severity of domestic natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, are straining the Canadian Armed Forces' readiness and may necessitate a formal reassessment of force structure requirements.
• Indigenous populations in the Canadian Arctic are disproportionately threatened by climate change due to their reliance on the land for food security and culture, combined with the high cost of infrastructure resilience in remote northern regions.
• The Arctic is warming approximately three times faster than the global average, leading to 'zombie fires' (overwintering fires), ocean acidification, and significant coastal erosion in the Beaufort Sea.
• Geopolitical competition in the Arctic is intensifying as melting ice increases accessibility, with Russia modernizing its Arctic infrastructure and China pursuing a 'Near-Arctic State' status to maximize commercial and strategic opportunities.
• Climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' globally, exacerbating fragility in regions like the Sahel, Yemen, and Afghanistan, which may increase the demand for Canadian involvement in international peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance.
• The report recommends the creation of a 'Climate Security Task Force' comprising Global Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence, and Environment and Climate Change to develop an integrated planning framework.
• Canada's North Warning System is reaching the end of its lifespan in 2025, and the report emphasizes the urgency of implementing a replacement to maintain the North American defence perimeter.

APA

Conger, J., & Fetzek, S. (2021). A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR CANADA. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-Climate-Security-Plan-for-Canada_January-2021.pdf

Chicago

Conger, John, and Shiloh Fetzek. A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR CANADA. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2021. https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-Climate-Security-Plan-for-Canada_January-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Conger |first1=John |last2=Fetzek |first2=Shiloh |title=A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR CANADA |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=January 2021 |url=https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-Climate-Security-Plan-for-Canada_January-2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{conger2021climate, author = {Conger, John and Fetzek, Shiloh}, title = {{A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR CANADA}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2021}, month = jan, url = {https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-Climate-Security-Plan-for-Canada_January-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }