Thank you. I am Blair Brimmell, head of the climate and security policy section at Global Affairs Canada. I am also the acting director for this new NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence.
Canada will benefit from this new centre of excellence in many ways. The centre will help Canada, its allies and international partners better understand all the ways that climate change will impact our security interests.
The centre's work is meant to help Canada and its allies come up with policies and measures so that armed forces can better adapt to a security environment affected by climate change. The centre will also be a way for Canada to identify best practices and share information with international partners.
Lastly, the centre of excellence will help Canada and its allies find ways that armed and security forces can reduce their climate impact and greenhouse gas emissions. This will address the global necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.