Climate Change
RUSI’s research addresses climate change as the backdrop to all national security, defence and foreign policy discourses.
Climate change is both an existential threat to humanity and a threat multiplier. With expertise across a range of themes and geographies, we assess the implications of climate change through geopolitical, defence and security lenses.
Our research produces leading commentary on how climate change intersects with ‘traditional’ security issues at the local, regional, institutional and international levels. Ongoing research includes horizon scanning of new trends in organised environmental crime; commentary on the security of nuclear weapons’ storage in a warming world; and the implications of a renewed interest in space travel. We lead several international Track 1 and 2 dialogues on topics including energy security, climate mitigation and governance of global commons. This year, RUSI will make recommendations on how to create a cyber-resilient renewable energy grid and launch a new Climate, Crime and Conflict podcast.
Our unparalleled access and cross-cutting expertise make RUSI the home of commentary on climate change, defence and security.
Our experts
Cathy Haenlein
Director, Organised Crime and Policing (on maternity leave)
Organised Crime and Policing
Alexandria Reid
Associate Fellow
Lauren Young
Research Fellow
Organised Crime and Policing
Genevieve Kotarska
Research Analyst
Organised Crime and Policing
Dr Sarah Ashbridge
Research Fellow
Military Sciences
Juliana Suess
Research Analyst and Policy Lead
Military Sciences
Neil Melvin
Director, International Security Studies
International Security Studies
Veerle Nouwens
Senior Research Fellow
International Security Studies
Aaditya Dave
Research Analyst
International Security Studies
Sneha Dawda
Research Fellow
Cyber
Dr Imogen Parsons
Senior Research Fellow
Terrorism and Conflict
Luniya Msuku
Director of RUSI Nairobi
RUSI Nairobi
Duncan Depledge
Associate Fellow
Jennifer Cole
Associate Fellow
Claudia Wallner
Associate Fellow
Dr Jessica White
Senior Research Fellow
Terrorism and Conflict
Anne-Marie Weeden
Senior Research Fellow
Organised Crime and Policing
Recent event series
Research areas
Access topics and programmes related to climate security.
This programme investigates the evolving impact of global warming on the criminogenic dynamics behind large-scale environmental crime.
Exploring whether and how European coherence in its approach to Beijing can be enhanced in order to develop shared capacity in meeting the China challenge of today and in the years ahead.
SHOC articles
Read articles from ‘Nature, Guns and Money’, produced by the Strategic Hub for Organised Crime Research (SHOC)
5 Jan, 2022 - Forward Look by The UNCAC Coalition Environmental Crime and Corruption Working Group
10 Dec, 2021 - Forward Look by Adrian Garside
6 Oct, 2021 - Situation report by Cathy Haenlein
28 September, 2021 - Forward Look by Lauren Young
14 Sep, 2021 - Situation Report by Dr Tim Wittig
5 Jun, 2021 - Situation Report by Dr Alejandro Lerch
4 Jun, 2021 - Forward Look by Alexandria Reid, Jessa Rose Dury-Agri, Austin Brush and Duncan Copeland
Read more articles from Nature, Guns & Money
Multimedia
Access podcasts and event recordings on climate change
This episode of the Climate Briefing podcast was produced in collaboration with the Transatlantic Dialogue on China project. It focuses on how climate change politics have shifted since COP21 in Paris, and explores the roles of the three largest emitters – China, the United States and the EU – in global climate action. The episode also provides a timely recap of the main aims of COP26.
Professor Malcolm Chalmers and Jamie Kwong explain how national security strategies consider climate change as a threat multiplier. Learn why embedding climate change in national defence strategies is vital to preserving climate security.
