Zack Polanski, the Green party leader in England, has demanded that the government publish in full an unredacted report by the UK’s spy chiefs that he says shows the collapse of overseas ecosystems would have catastrophic consequences for the country’s national security. Polanski said ministers must stop "hiding the truth" about the scale and impact of the climate and nature crisis and urged the prime minister to make the assessment public.
Polanski described the intelligence assessment as "explosive" and has signalled he will challenge Andy Burnham’s government to release the document in its entirety. According to his campaign, the report warns that environmental breakdown abroad could translate into severe security risks for the UK, but that parts of the assessment have been withheld from public view.
Transparency advocates and some opposition figures argue that publishing the full report would allow for a more informed public debate on how to prepare for and respond to the security implications of climate and ecological decline. They say knowledge of intelligence findings can shape planning across defence, migration policy and diplomatic efforts to stabilise vulnerable regions.
The Green leader’s call underscores growing pressure on ministers to disclose more detail about how the state assesses and prepares for intersectional threats from climate change and biodiversity loss. Polanski has framed the request as a matter of national interest, insisting that elected leaders and the public need a clear picture of the risks to make policy decisions.
It was not immediately clear whether the government would accede to the demand to publish the unredacted report. Polanski’s intervention is likely to reignite debate over the balance between national security confidentiality and the public’s right to know about risks posed by global environmental change.