National security assessment of climate and biodiversity loss: comment

Commenting on new coverage [1] of the national security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change partially released by the Government [2], Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Getting to net zero emissions is the only solution we have to stopping climate change, which itself is the greatest driver of the global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse at the heart of this government report.

"At a time when extreme weather means farmers are struggling to grow food both here and in countries we import from, it is deeply worrying that the UK Government should seem to be withholding the detail of this report from the British public. Even the published public summary acknowledges the threat to our food security.

"With last year being England's second worst harvest on record [3] and two fifths of our food coming from overseas, we have only to look at the recent extreme rainfall in Spain, Morocco and Portugal to understand how quickly food shortages can come about, driving up our food prices still further.” [4] 

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

1. ITV News (from 14:30): https://www.itv.com/watch/news/watch-fridays-itv-lunchtime-news/y5zt189

2. Defra: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security

3. ECIU: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/england-has-second-worst-harvest-on-record-comment 

4. ECIU: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/climate-change-impacts-floods-in-spain-portugal-and-morocco-comment 

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net