For an armed force to be resilient, it must be able to meet its current and future needs, and to support the needs of the population(s) that it seeks to protect. The climate science community has a role to play in helping others to understand what the future world and the operating theatres within it might look like. But where should defence practitioners look to engage, and how much certainty is required to necessitate action now?

In this episode, hosts Dr Sarah Ashbridge and Lieutenant Colonel Alistair Beard are joined by Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw (Centre for Economic Security/SAID Business School, Oxford University) and Megan Pearce (Frazer-Nash) to explore the different tools and resources which can be utilised to both imagine the future world and navigate the potential risks that it could present to an armed force.

From datasets, to wargaming, to risk management, our speakers signpost to the methods and approaches which can offer the most practical insights and allow us to reduce our own resilience risks, or diversify the risks that we present to our adversaries.

The views of all speakers represent their own opinions and individual experiences. All views presented within this podcast series belong to the individual speakers and do not reflect the official position of their employers or the IMCCS

This podcast has been created thanks to the sponsorship and partnership of Frazer-Nash and the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE).

Resources recommended by Episode 2 guest speakers:

-            Mittermaier, D; Merschroth, S; Šedová, B; Auer, C; Bohne, T; Ferri, S; Slouma, S; Gottwick, V. (2025). Climate Conflict Vulnerability Index (CCVI) – Technical Documentation V.1.2. Report and dataset available online at climate-conflict.org.

-            Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Sustainability Leadership Executive Programme, University of Cambridge.

-            Extrapolations (2023). Apple TV series.