The warming Arctic is one of the greatest sources of vulnerability for Canadian security and defence, and yet the communities best positioned to generate the knowledge required to protect it are functionally absent from NATO’s plan, reflecting a profound intelligence gap. For generations, Inuit hunters, harvesters, and land stewards across the Canadian North have accumulated Read More…
Introduction In April 2026, the federal government announced long-term defence investments at 5 Wing Goose Bay that may total up to $8 billion, marking the largest Canadian defence investment in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history. On the surface, this news highlights military modernization, NORAD infrastructure, and Arctic sovereignty. Yet it also reveals that climate security is Read More…
Canada has increasingly recognized that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a growing national and international security challenge. As a founding member of NATO, Canada has aligned its defence policies with the Alliance’s climate objectives by integrating climate considerations into military planning, resilience, and emissions reduction. NATO has committed to reducing Read More…
Climate change is increasingly reshaping the way governments think about national security. Flooding, wildfires, and extreme weather can damage military installations, disrupt supply chains, and strain emergency response systems, creating vulnerabilities that governments increasingly view as national security concerns. At the same time, melting Arctic ice is opening new shipping routes and intensifying geopolitical competition Read More…
“Water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended, and treated as such.” What happens when mountains lose their ice? Across the Rocky Mountains, glaciers have shaped landscapes, sustained ecosystems, and supplied water for generations, yet they are rapidly retreating, signaling a growing environmental crisis. The Read More…
Canada’s Arctic security debate mostly focuses on the visible signs of geopolitical change. While Russian military activity, Chinese interest in polar routes, and NORAD modernization dominate the debate, one serious threat is occurring under Canadians’ feet. As permafrost thaws, the physical ground supporting Arctic infrastructure is becoming less stable. This is not only an environmental Read More…
Should NATO Treat Climate Data as Strategic Intelligence? Climate change is recognised as a major threat that is shaping global security. Rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns are affecting economic stability and infrastructure resilience. As these risks become more frequent, climate data has become an important tool for anticipating these threats. Climate data is long-term Read More…
While sounding unfathomable at first, the world may be growing closer and closer to experiencing “water wars”, which would entail nations fighting for access to our most precious natural resource and basic need: water. Earlier this year, on January 20th, 2026, the United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-IWEH) published a Read More…
In this article, Lou Didelot explores how whereas NATO increasingly treats climate change as a security challenge, modern deterrence still depends on fossil-fuel-intensive military systems. As geopolitical tensions rise, the alliance faces growing pressures to balance sustainability with operational readiness.
What should count as defence investment in an era of climate-driven insecurity? In this article, Olly Griesbach argues that NATO’s new and largely undefined 1.5% resilience spending category offers a crucial policy opening to formally recognize climate adaptation, and that Canada is uniquely positioned to lead that push.