The Failed Securitization of Climate Change in Australia

Abstract

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's first National Security Statement in 2008 identified climate change as a ‘fundamental’ threat to national security. Two years later, Rudd was deposed with little to show for climate activism beyond the largely symbolic ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Australians largely accepted Rudd's claim that climate change constituted a threat, yet relatively mainstream climate-policy measures were subjected to significant, and ultimately effective, political opposition. This has important implications for climate politics in Australia. This paper, however, focuses on implications for the securitization framework. Specifically, the author argues that this case raises serious questions about the capacity of the framework to account for the mobilising power of security or the dynamics of its construction.

Keywords:

• Australia
• climate policy
• Rudd
• securitization

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matt McDonald

Matt McDonald is Senior Lecturer in International Relations in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. An earlier version of this article was presented at the Oceanic Conference on International Studies in Brisbane in 2011, and at the International Studies Association Convention in San Diego in 2012. Thanks to those in the audience who commented on this paper, and to Mark Beeson, Dayle Cranswick, Ashleigh Croucher, the anonymous reviewers and the editors for their comments and intellectual contributions to this article. Some research for the article was funded through a UQ–UWA Bilateral Collaboration Award (with Mark Beeson) in 2012 (Ref 2011001999).