A former Defence chief says climate risks have been overlooked in Australia’s National Defence Strategy.

Admiral Chris Barrie, a former chief of Australia's defence force, has accused the federal government of failing to grasp the magnitude of climate change threats to national security. 

According to Admiral Barrie, the government's National Defence Strategy barely acknowledges climate change, mentioning it just briefly despite its significant implications for national security.

The comments come after the release of a report by Admiral Barrie and other senior former military and intelligence leaders in the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group.

The group has expressed astonishment at the government's lack of preparation for climate-induced security risks such as mass migrations, food insecurity, and state failures, particularly within the Pacific Islands. 

“It appears that the government either doesn't understand what our scientists are telling them, or they are deliberately hiding the facts from the Australian community,” the admiral stated.

The group has highlighted the absence of a coherent strategy to address the security risks posed by climate change, even as other nations like the United States and the United Kingdom have begun to incorporate such risks into their defence planning.

The group also pointed out the stark contrast in the government's strategic commitments, noting that while there is significant investment in hardening military bases against potential threats, little has been done to prepare these bases for the impacts of climate change. 

Projections suggest that critical military zones in the north could see temperatures that make them “near-unliveable” within a few decades, with regular exceedances of 35 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, the group reveals that a secret intelligence report prepared by the Office of National Intelligence in 2022, which assessed the threats posed by climate change, has not been made public nor adequately considered in strategic reviews. 

“We do not need to know the wording of the report, but we do need to know what is in it,” Admiral Barrie emphasised.

The group is advocating for the establishment of a climate threat intelligence branch within the Office of National Intelligence to ensure that climate risks are regularly assessed and communicated to policymakers and the public.