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Climate Security on the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultation Table
The annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), the “principal forum for bilateral consultations between Australian and the United States,” took place this week in Sydney, and discussion of the security implications of climate change was on the agenda. The consultations included the Australian Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence, the US Secretaries of State and Defense, and other senior officials from the countries’ respective diplomatic and defense establishments. According to the Australian government’s website, “The Consultations provide a major opportunity to discuss and share perspectives and approaches on major global and regional political issues, and to deepen bilateral foreign security and defence cooperation.” In this context, discussion of climate -security is important. (more…)
CCS on Climate Change, Defense and Australia-US Relations
The Center for Climate and Security’s Co-Director, Francesco Femia was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s planned visit to the United States later this week. Prime Minister Abbott has apparently canceled meetings with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and there is some speculation that this might have occurred as a result of President Obama’s recent climate change policy announcement, and push to have climate change put back on the G20 agenda (Australia will be hosting the G20 Summit later this year). To date, Prime Minister Abbott has been hesitant to engage on the subject of climate change. Despite the politics of the issue, however, the Australian Defence Force has been taking climate change seriously for some time. (more…)
Australia’s Chief of Army: Australian Defence Force Needs to Consider Climate Impacts
On the heels of Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments in Jakarta, Indonesia on the security implications of climate change, Australia’s Chief of Army noted that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will need to plan for the security implications of a changing climate. According to Australia Network News, Lieutenant General David Morrison stated: “We have to look at the region, with a number of low-lying islands, to be confident in drawing conclusions that there will be a role for the military as a result.” In terms of what that might mean for the ADF, Lieutenant General Morrison noted that the “most likely role for the military” would be “providing immediate assistance for humanitarian and disaster relief.”
These comments build on previous concerns expressed by the ADF, including in a conference on climate change organized by the ADF in the autumn of last year, and Australia’s 2013 National Security Strategy – released under the previous government.
Australia’s Firefighting Force Must Double by 2030
This is a cross-post from ReliefAnalysis.com
By Mehmet Burk
Climate Change could catalyze the need for Australia to double its fire fighting force by 2030. But climate change’s global impacts could also unravel international mutual aid agreements used in the continent’s current response operations. (more…)