Albanese says climate security is national security, but critics ask for a plan
At UN Climate Week in New York, Australia's PM warned of the cost of inaction while former defence chiefs said his government still lacks a climate-security framework.
What to know
- Albanese framed climate change as a national security issue in a keynote at UN Climate Week, days before Australia chairs Cop31 negotiations in Antalya.
- Critics, led by former defence chief Adm Chris Barrie and the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, say the government has approved 37 new or expanded fossil fuel developments since 2022 while claiming climate leadership.
- The core dispute is whether Australia has a concrete climate-security framework tying escalating climate risk to defence, foreign policy and intelligence decision-making — critics say none has been published.
“If the prime minister is going to New York to say climate security is national security, Australians are entitled to ask a very simple question: where is the plan?”
Chris Barrie, Former Australian defence force chief · Guardian World ↗ · Sep 20
Anthony Albanese Australian Prime MinisterChris Barrie Former Chief of the Australian Defence ForceAustralian Security Leaders Climate Group Advocacy group of former military/defence officials
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Social media amplifies 'where is the plan?' criticism
A widely shared Bluesky post recirculated Barrie's question about the government's missing climate-security framework, calling Albanese's speech 'short on substance'.
“Albanese short on substance…”
— coalisdead.bsky.social -
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Australian Security Leaders Climate Group and ex chief of defence Adm. Chris Barrie asks a simple question; ‘if the PM is going to New York & say ‘climate security is national security,’ where’s the plan?’ “Albanese short on substance” #AttentionSeeker #auspol
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Security Leaders Climate Group demands a climate-security plan
The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group and former defence force chief Adm Chris Barrie said Australia cannot claim climate-security leadership abroad while approving 37 new or expanded fossil fuel projects since 2022 and lacking a clear domestic framework.
“Australia cannot credibly claim climate-security leadership overseas while failing to confront the scale of climate risk at home, including continuing to approve new and expanded fossil-fuel developments.”
— Adm Chris Barrie -
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“There’s no avoiding the scale of our responsibility – or the cost of inaction,” says @albomp.bsky.social, the leader of a government that readily and repeatedly approves new, or extends exisiting, fossil fuel projects. 🤷♂️ 1/2 #duplicitous #climate #auspol
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background
Albanese opens Climate Week event in New York — In a keynote address titled 'climate security is the new national security', Albanese told the audience Australia has experienced climate breakdown through bushfires and floods and said there is no avoiding the scale of responsibility or the cost of inaction.