Climate change is a growing threat to Australia's national security and is undermining defence force preparedness, a new study says.
The paper, written by former defence chief retired Admiral Chris Barrie for the Climate Council, said little action was being taken to ensure the Australian Defence Force was prepared for climate change and its security implications.
"Increasingly, this is leaving the ADF out of step with its allies, and exposing Australian defence personnel, and Australia more broadly, to the considerable strategic risk and uncertainty that climate change brings," the paper says.
In contrast, the US and UK have taken significant steps to integrate climate change into defence planning. In the US, the consideration of climate is a routine part of all mission planning.
The study says climate change could reduce military readiness and sustainment in a number of ways. Rising temperatures will likely make it more difficult for military forces to train.
Extreme weather could affect defence capability by disabling critical military and civilian infrastructure at the crucial moments necessary for rapid mobilisation.
Adml Barrie said the ADF would need to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
"The big question is have we done enough in terms of our preparations," he told AAP.
"We have looked at what US and UK have done and we find that we are quite behind in integrating climate change impacts into direct defence planning. I would like us ... boldly march forward and catch up to the UK and US.
Adml Barrie said defence needed to think about how it might change capabilities to operate in more extreme temperatures.
If defence was to deploy to other parts of the world, it would need to consider climate change impacts there as well, he said.
"We will be doing this more often and we may have to do concurrent events," he said. "The question is, will we be stretched and will we be able to deliver what we have been doing before."
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