The government and the media have a duty of care to ensure a balanced and transparent focus on security risks, including climate disruption, not the privileging of some threats whilst others are hidden away.

Key points:

• The government has a duty of care to fully assess and be transparent about security risks to the Australian people.

• The greatest risk is climate disruption, described by both the UN Secretary General and US Secretary of Defence as existential.

• Whilst a great deal of media and political attention is focused on China, new weapon systems and AUKUS, there is at present little to no attention on climate security from either parliament or the commentariat.

• The Office of National Intelligence has, for the first time, conducted a climate and security risk assessment, which was requested by the government and delivered to them in late 2022.

• The government to date has not publicly acknowledged the assessment, released a non-classified version, or indicated when that will be done.

• Climate risk must be the first priority for the government, whether from security, emissions-reduction policy, budget priority or international relationship perspectives.