Military Capabilities Affected by Climate Change. An Analysis of China, Russia and the United States
Publisher: Clingendael Magazine
Author(s): Adája Stoetman, Dick Zandee, Niels Drost, and Louise van Schaik
Date: 2023
Topics: Climate Change, Governance, Humanitarian Assistance, Public Health, Renewable Resources, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Countries: China, Russian Federation, United States
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of the present and the future. Rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as extreme weather events are manifestations of climate change that also influence military capabilities. Increased attention for the climate change-security nexus is visible both at the national and the international level: nationally through the incorporation of climate change in security strategies and internationally through incorporation in important strategic documents such as the EU’s Strategic Compass and NATO’s Strategic Concept.
Given its transnational nature, governments around the world have a shared responsibility to face climate change. A particular role is laid down for the global powers, China, Russia and the United States, given their position in the world. It is, however, questionable whether the global powers’ interests align. They differ in their approaches to address climate change, and even more so in their views on how it affects the armed forces. China and particularly Russia are more reluctant towards depicting climate change as a matter of international security. This is for example visible in international forums, such as the UN Security Council. In contrast, in the US, support for climate action is subject to political preferences, but climate related security risks are widely recognised within the defence establishment.