UK appoints world’s first climate security representative

The UK has appointed Madeleine Alessandri, chair of the joint intelligence committee, as the world’s first special representative for climate security, a role advising the government on national security risks from climate breakdown. Prime Minister Andy Burnham will announce the move Thursday at the Cop31 UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey. Burnham will cite the UK’s hottest summer on record, with wildfires and heatwaves straining health services and transport, as evidence the crisis is urgent. Alessandri will work across government and internationally to build resilience, following a secret JIC report warning of food shortages, migration, and conflict risks within five years. Campaigners criticized the appointment as hypocritical, citing UK plans to weaken electric vehicle targets and approve new fossil fuel projects like the Jackdaw gasfield. They also noted reduced climate finance for vulnerable nations, with Nepal demanding grants rather than loans for adaptation and disaster recovery.