The UK government has just quietly released a major report. There has been no press coverage, no soundbites from MPs and no news cycle attention at all. It is a National Security Risk Assessment showing that biodiversity loss and collapsing ecosystems are officially huge threats to UK national security, our food supply and economic and global stability. The contents of the report and its release were delayed (from the original publication date of October 2025) and then released this week without fanfare.
Ignoring this national security threat could mean:
• Food shortages & rising prices as ecosystems collapse, disrupting global crop production and supply chains.
• More extreme weather, snow, floods & droughts thanks to degraded natural systems that once buffered climate risks.
• Geopolitical instability, conflict and migration as nations compete for shrinking resources.
• Health risks from diseases linked to disrupted ecosystems.
This isn’t distant future talk. Impacts are already unfolding. Without major intervention, risks are expected to intensify toward 2050 and beyond. To my knowledge, the assessment was produced by the Joint Intelligence Committee, and it applies the uncertainty framework used in intelligence assessments to reflect the probability of an event occurring and the level of analytical confidence in the judgments made. It concluded that the threat to UK national security is “high”.
Reportedly the government felt that the contents of the report were actually ‘too negative’. I suspect they would rather we avoided thinking about it, as action would require significant investment in renewables and huge shifts in subsidies, agricultural production and ecosystem preservation. This is a hard thing to implement within the short framework of an election cycle and without corporate investment.
Maybe the media thought the whole thing is just too depressing and difficult to address without completely disrupting the current status quo…
Sadly these issues will only further increase the risk of conflict, migration and disinformation - if this isn’t addressed now.
But it’s not too late. We can push for solutions that actually make a difference:
SHARE THIS REPORT far and wide so politicians know this is important to their constituents.
push our government to prioritise restoration and protection of UK wetlands, forests and coastal habitats to support food systems, water security and climate resilience.
Support nature-based and tech solutions in farming and urban planning that boost biodiversity and reduce risk instead of animal-agriculture based subsidies
Encourage financial backing for our farmers to be able to grow diverse crops, including legumes, use conservation agricultural techniques and get subsidies for supporting hedgerows and maintaining forests and wetlands
Back policies and partnerships that safeguard ecosystems locally and globally - vote for parties prioritising this
Eat more plants on our own plates and less meat and dairy
Get involved with (or start!) initiatives to protect your own parks, allotments, woodlands, native species of birds, hedgerows, plants and wild animals.
Nature is the foundation of our security, prosperity and wellbeing, and acting now protects us all.
