Montreal Climate Security Summit
About
The NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) and the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute are excited to announce the 3rd Montreal Climate Security Summit, which will take place on Oct. 29 and 30, 2024 in Montreal, Canada.
The Montreal Climate Security Summit is an annual international meeting at the intersection of climate change and security, which brings together participants from across the NATO Alliance and beyond. This year, we are expecting an audience of 200 guests which will include high-level civilian and military practitioners, policy makers, decision makers, and seasoned researchers hailing from NATO member countries, multilateral and regional organizations, industry, think tanks, and civil society.
The event will feature an impressive lineup of speakers from Allied countries, partner nations and beyond, complemented by insights from representatives of NATO HQ, the European Union, and the United Nations. The first two editions of the Montreal Summit were led by the CDA Institute. With the establishment of the CCASCOE in Montreal in 2023, the two organizations are joining forces to build on previous efforts and generate a landmark venue to discuss climate security between NATO Allies and beyond. This year’s in-person edition of the Montreal Summit will be by-invitation only.
Key Themes
Discussions at the Summit will be action-oriented and explore the following central themes:
- Current and future climate security threats and the role of NATO
- Resilience of military infrastructure
- Risk-mitigation strategies
- Greening defence and military readiness
- Regional and Indigenous outlooks
- Arctic security
- Strategic foresight
- Human security
- Data-sharing
About the Organizers
The 3rd edition of the Montreal Climate Security Summit is co-hosted by the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) and the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute.
The opening of the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) in October 2023 and its accreditation to NATO in May 2024 are a milestone for NATO to address the security implications of climate change. The CCASCOE was established to support the efforts of NATO Allies and partners to adapt to the implications of climate change on their security and mitigate their own impact on climate change, while strengthening operational effectiveness. Canada, the framework nation, was joined in this effort by CCASCOE’s sponsoring nations: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxemburg, Norway, Romania, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
The CCASCOE works with governmental and non-governmental organizations, think tanks, academia and industry to stimulate innovative solutions, encourage closer collaboration among NATO Allies and partners and across different types of organizations, gather and streamline knowledge and expertise in one dedicated hub, and increase the awareness of decision-makers and the broader public on the pressing need of taking concrete actions to preserve Allied security. CCASCOE’s efforts support the implementation of the NATO Climate Change and Security Action Plan and contribute to NATO’s overall military readiness, deterrence and defence posture.
The Conference of Defence Associations is a leading defence and security think tank founded in 1932, which brings together 45 member associations representing over 400,000 active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadians with a close connection to national defence and security. In 1987, the CDA founded a separate Institute as a charitable organization with the mission to advance informed debate on national security issues.
Through its Climate and Security Programme, the CDA Institute has been at the forefront in Canada among defence and security think tanks to raise awareness on and study the issues surrounding climate and security. The objective of the CDA Institute’s Climate and Security Programme is to advance informed debate and dialogue on the multiple ways in which climate and environmental change interact with Canadian national security issues, particularly as it relates to national defence and foreign policy. Through activities promoting expertise, research and analysis on the climate and security nexus and its implications for Canada, the Institute contributes to informing Canada’s climate security priorities and Canada’s role in global climate security efforts; strengthens the Canadian community of practitioners, scholars and policymakers on climate and security; and contributes to the development of tangible solutions to current and emerging security and defence challenges relating to climate change.
What to Expect
Participants are encouraged to bring their expertise and experience to bear on the conversation. The event is designed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and facilitate the ideation of solutions. It is an opportunity to engage with our speakers and ask questions that break out traditional disciplinary and policy silos.
Registration
The Montreal Climate Security Summit is by-invitation only. This year, the event will have a limited number of complimentary seats reserved for students and members of the general public who are passionate about the intersection of climate change and security.
If you are interested in attending as a guest, please submit your registration statement of interest form.
Speakers
LGen M.C. WRIGHT, CMM, MMV, MSM, CD
Commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of the Army Staff Canadian Army
Cmdre Ruud Schoonen
Assistant Chief of Staff Strategic Plans & Policy NATO Allied Command Transformation
Ms. Iris A. Ferguson
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience US Department of Defense
His Excellency Espen Barth Eide
Foreign Minister of Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ms. Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk
President Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Canada
Mr. Peter Hammerschmidt
Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment) Department of National Defence
Mr. Hans Olav Ibrekk
Special Envoy Climate and Security, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MGen Henning-A. Frantzen
Head of the Department of Defense Policy and Long-term Planning Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf
Co-Head of Research, Department on Earth System Analysis Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Hon. Sherri Goodman
Secretary General International Military Council on Climate & Security (IMCCS)
Gen (Ret'd) Tom Middendorp
Chairman International Military Council on Climate and Security Former Chief of Defense of the Netherlands
BGen Raffaele Pio Manicone
Commander of the Carabinieri Group for the Protection of Biodiversity Italian Carabinieri General Headquarters
Ms. Marisol Maddox
Senior Arctic Analyst, Wilson Center Polar Institute Operational Research Analyst, PolArctic LLC
Mr. Noah J. Gordon
Co-director, Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Ms. Janani Vivekananda
Head of Programme Climate Diplomacy and Security at Adelphi
Mr. Himanshu Gupta
CEO and Co-founder of ClimateAi
Dr. Louise van Schaik
Head of Unit EU & Global Affairs Clingendael Institute
Ms. Ayesha Siddiqi
Associate Professor at the Department of Geography University of Cambridge
Ms. Catherine Wong
UNDP Team Leader United Nations Development Programme
Col. Nicholas Dickson
Strategic Resilience and Stability Division Chief AFRICOM J56
Dr. Erin Hughey
Deputy Executive Director Pacific Disaster Center
Dr. Joshua Elliott
Chief Scientist Renaissance Philanthropy
Ms. Swathi Veeravalli
Director of Climate Security and Adaptation US National Security Council
Dr. Matthew A. Rhodes
Professor of International Security Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies
Dr. Will Greaves
Associate Professor University of Victoria
Dr. Sarah-Myriam Martin-Brûlé
Professor, Department of Politics and International Studies, Bishop’s University, Board member of The Climate Security Association of Canada
Hon. Sharon Burke
Founder and President of Ecospherics
Mr. Anthony Agota
Climate & Environment Ambassador European External Action Service (EEAS)
Col. Giancarlo Turco
Senior Expert on Climate Change and Security International Military Staff NATO
Mr. James Clare
Director of Climate Change and Sustainabality UK Department of Defence
Mr. Mike Diorio
Senior Vice President of Operations at Dataminr
Prof. Mohammad Alqattan
Vice President of Research American International University in Kuwait
Col. Benoit Mainville
Director, Canadian Ranger Corps Canadian Army Headquarters
Dr. Kiersten Johnson
Director Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Program, USAID
Mr. Louis Brunet
Managing Director Collins Aerospace | Canada
Dr. P. Whitney Lackenbauer
Canada Research Chair in the Study of the Canadian North Trent University CDAI Fellow CDA Institute
Ms. Alessandra Ussorio
Capability Development Coordinator, at the European Union Satellite Centre
Ms. Caroline Baxter
Senior Advisor, Center for Climate and Security
Mr. Samu Paukkunen
Head of Climate Change and Security Section NATO
Dr. Katie Woodward
Deputy Head of the Research Branch at CCASCOE
Mr. Matthew Hudson
Director, Climate Diplomacy Policy Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia