Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in response to the strategic assessment by the Joint Intelligence Committee titled, Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, what steps is his Department taking to coordinate climate security and resilience measures across Government.

The findings of the Joint Intelligence Committee’s assessment are being integrated into cross-government work, including the National Adaptation Plan, to ensure that climate and nature risks are reflected in resilience planning.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, Defence recognises climate change and nature degradation as persistent transnational challenges that will increasingly shape the operating environment. The Department is reducing carbon emissions and supporting nature recovery both to address these challenges and to enhance operational effectiveness and warfighting readiness.

Lessons from the conflict in Ukraine have reinforced the operational risks associated with reliance on fossil fuels. For example, diesel generators can be detected by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) drones from significant distances, increasing vulnerability on the battlefield. Defence is therefore continuing to invest in technologies that reduce such vulnerabilities and improve operational resilience.