CSS hosted General Middendorp for a lecture on the nexus between climate change and security and his interview with TVNZ

General (Ret) Middendorp talked about the nexus between climate change and security and was interviewed by Jack Tame from TVNZ.

On 2 October 2024, the Centre for Strategic Studies in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands hosted General (Ret) Tom Middendorp for a public lecture on the nexus between climate change and global security.

General Middendorp started his lecture by explaining to a full house why climate change is a security issue at the global, regional and state levels. Defence plays a significant role in responding to risks and challenges amplified by climate change in his view. General Middendorp provided some examples, including defence's support for fragile countries in climate change adaptation, civil-military cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and efforts to reduce the defence sector’s carbon emissions and build self-sufficiency.

Questions from the audience explored a wide range of issues including the possible impacts of militarisation and politicisation of climate change on the Pacific, the risks of securitising climate change, and what reforms to the international system might be needed to make real action possible.

The Centre for Strategic Studies also facilitated an interview between General Middendorp and Jack Tame from TVNZ's Q&A programme. Watch the full interview below.

Why climate change poses massive securit