Environmental Change and the New Security Agenda: Implications for Canada's security and environment

This research paper examines the bidirectional link between environmental change and Canadian security. It identifies three key security challenges arising from environmental change—Arctic shipping routes, energy sourcing, and regional environmental security—while arguing that Canada's post-1990s 'new security agenda' focused on terrorism often competes with and negatively impacts environmental management.

• Global environmental change, including climate change and mismanagement, impacts Canada's domestic security and overseas interests through three primary challenges: the competition for control over shipping routes in a warming Arctic, the search for new energy sources, and environmental security in regions of military, economic, and diplomatic importance to Canada.
• Canada's 'new security agenda,' which focuses on preventing international terrorism and has evolved since the early 1990s, competes for federal budgets and priorities with environmental management. This agenda's pursuit of border security and North American energy independence has direct environmental implications that should be included in policy cost-benefit analyses.
• The paper argues that treating environmental management as a 'soft policy area' or an optional 'add-on' during times of conflict is a dangerously short-sighted approach, as the environment has real security implications in a globalized world.

APA

Campeau,, A. C. B. (2008). Environmental Change and the New Security Agenda: Implications for Canada's security and environment. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-change-and-new-security-agenda-implications-canadas-security-and

Chicago

Campeau,, Alec Crawford,Oli Brown,Christine. Environmental Change and the New Security Agenda: Implications for Canada's security and environment. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-change-and-new-security-agenda-implications-canadas-security-and.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Campeau, |first1=Alec Crawford,Oli Brown,Christine |title=Environmental Change and the New Security Agenda: Implications for Canada's security and environment |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=19 June 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-change-and-new-security-agenda-implications-canadas-security-and |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{campeau2008environmental, author = {Campeau,, Alec Crawford,Oli Brown,Christine}, title = {{Environmental Change and the New Security Agenda: Implications for Canada's security and environment}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-change-and-new-security-agenda-implications-canadas-security-and}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }