In international peace and security dialogue, the fear provoked by climate change pales in comparison with that incited by terrorism or weapons of mass destruction. Climate change is, after all, a non-traditional ‘threat’. Yet climate change may well merit the same level of attention as traditional threats. In light of the growing realities of climate change, unmet through mitigation, it appears that more concerted action is needed. This paper argues that it is to the United Nations Security Council that the world ought to turn for leadership of a global response to climate change security threats through Chapter VII collective security mechanisms. It is argued that climate change threats are tantamount to threats to international peace and security given the evolution of threats since the Charter of the United Nations was signed in 1945. However, an incremental use of Chapter VII measures is necessary, progressing from the less coercive measures to the most extreme use of force only when prompted by the most extreme of circumstances. This paper concludes that there is scope for these Chapter VII measures to be implemented in conjunction with the international environmental law regime to combat climate change.
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