The United Kingdom has appointed Dame Madeleine Alessandri, a former intelligence chief, as its first special representative for climate security, a world first.

The appointment was announced on Thursday by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in a speech to the United Nations COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey. The move is aimed at better preparing the country for the growing impacts of global warming. It signals a new approach that treats climate change not only as an environmental issue, but as a national security issue.

In his speech, Burnham recalled that he spent his first three weeks as prime minister this past summer responding to the worst wildfires Britain ever experienced.

He said Britain and the rest of Western Europe experienced their hottest summer on record this year, marked by a succession of heatwaves and wildfires. He told world leaders that the summer was not normal and that the climate crisis is upon all of us now. He said the wildfires devastated lives and livelihoods everywhere and showed that climate risks can no longer be treated as distant threats.

As evidence of his position, Burnham said, “Climate is a national security issue. As evidence of that, I am today announcing the appointment of Dame Madeleine Alessandri as the first UK special representative for climate security.”

The announcement drew attention at the summit because no other country has created such a specific role. Cosima Cassel, an expert at climate think tank E3G, told AFP that this is the first climate security envoy specifically. Britain already has a climate minister, Katie White, who is in Antalya for the COP31 talks that are scheduled to end on November 20.

Alessandri is the former head of the UK’s Joint Intelligence Committee, the body that briefs ministers on security threats. She currently serves as Chair of the committee, a role that places her at the centre of Britain’s intelligence and security assessments. Her background is expected to bring substantial experience in national intelligence matters directly to bear on environmental security challenges. As special representative, she will serve as the primary adviser to Number 10 on national security risks emanating from the climate crisis.

The appointment follows growing concerns within the UK’s intelligence and security community that climate change and ecosystem collapse could pose serious threats to national stability. A Joint Intelligence Committee assessment prepared under Alessandri’s leadership warned that the UK could begin experiencing national security consequences within five years as overseas ecosystems collapse under the combined pressures of climate change and the overexploitation of natural resources.

The assessment identified potential consequences including food shortages, rising food prices, mass migration and conflict involving nuclear armed countries.

Alessandri herself has stressed that climate change and nature loss are increasingly shaping the security environment in which the UK operates. She said the pressures are placing additional strain on resources, economies and communities around the world. Her new role is expected to focus on how these pressures affect food supplies, migration, international security and Britain’s ability to respond to crises.

It will also help the government to connect climate policy with defence, intelligence and foreign policy planning.

Burnham is also set to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and strengthening international cooperation on clean energy development. As COP31 continues in Antalya, the appointment is being seen as a signal that Britain wants to lead in recognising the link between climate and security.

For many observers, the creation of the world’s first climate security envoy marks a significant milestone in how governments address environmental threats to national security.