Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies if the Arctic and High North are ice-free by 2040.

The Strategic Defence Review stresses the importance to Defence of the likelihood that the Arctic and High North will be ‘ice-free’ each summer by 2040, and the need for the Armed Forces to be prepared for new geographical realities created by climate change.

The Ministry of Defence is reviewing the numerous implications with a range of allied partners through analysis, strategic wargaming, and capability reviews, including via NATO through contribution to their Climate Change and Sustainability Centre of Excellence.