Nordic Resilience and Infrastructure: Innovating to Address Climate and Security Challenges
Northern and defense infrastructure—the true pillars of our sovereignty and collective security—is being severely tested by climate change and growing geopolitical tensions, whether in the form of permafrost thaw, flooding, coastal erosion, extreme weather events, or new security realities in the North.
To build resilience capable of meeting these challenges, the AdapT Institute at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and the NATO Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Security (CCASCOE) invite you to a day of discussions and workshops to work together to devise innovative and sustainable solutions for infrastructure in the North and for defense.
About the event
Program
Welcome Reception for Participants - Coffee and Pastries
Welcome Message
By Kathy Baig, Executive Director and CEO of ÉTS
Overview and Findings
With:
- Mathieu Bussières, Director, NATO Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Security (CCASCOE)
- Éric Bosco, Executive director of Institut AdapT
Panel
Nordic Resilience Through Innovation: Strengthening Critical Infrastructure in the Face of Climate and Geopolitical Shocks.
More details to come.
Break
Session 1 (simultaneous)
Workshop 1 | Coastal Infrastructure Safety, Flooding, and Maritime Operations
Rising sea levels, more intense storms, and more frequent flooding are exposing coastal infrastructure to increasing risks. These challenges directly affect port facilities, logistics corridors, critical infrastructure, and maritime operations that are essential to security and the economy.
This workshop will bring together representatives from the defense sector, industry, and academia to identify key vulnerabilities and discuss adaptation solutions that will ensure operational continuity, infrastructure resilience, and the maintenance of strategic capabilities in the context of climate change.
OR
Workshop 2 | Civil Protection, Essential Services, and Collaboration with Local Communities
Climate change is leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events, putting critical infrastructure, public services, and response capabilities to the test. In many regions, particularly in remote and northern communities, resilience depends not only on infrastructure and emergency plans, but also on the mobilization of local stakeholders and the strength of community networks.
This workshop will explore how advocacy organizations, public authorities, infrastructure operators, and emergency services can better collaborate with local communities before, during, and after major climate events. Discussions will focus on listening to the needs expressed by communities, incorporating local and Indigenous knowledge, and mechanisms that enable meaningful community participation in preparedness, response, and recovery processes.
The goal will be to identify approaches that foster a lasting relationship of trust among the various stakeholders and to better understand how communities can be viewed as true partners in strengthening regional resilience and maintaining essential services.
Lunch and networking
Session 2 (simultaneous)
Workshop 3 | Energy Transition, Decarbonization, and Defense Planning
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are rapidly transforming energy systems, critical infrastructure, and supply chains. In the Nordic regions, where climatic constraints, geographic remoteness, and sovereignty issues are particularly pronounced, these transformations raise important questions related to energy security, infrastructure resilience, and civil and military operational capabilities.
Electrification, the development of new energy sources, the modernization of public infrastructure, and the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels offer significant opportunities to strengthen the autonomy and resilience of northern territories. However, these changes require long-term planning to ensure the reliability of essential services, the maintenance of defense capabilities, and the continuity of operations amid climate change and geopolitical uncertainty.
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Workshop 4 | Infrastructure Resilience in Permafrost Zones and Safety Issues
The thawing of permafrost is rapidly transforming environmental conditions in northern regions, with significant consequences for transportation infrastructure, buildings, critical networks, and operational capabilities. These changes pose a major challenge to safety, mobility, and the development of northern territories.
This workshop will bring together experts, practitioners, and decision-makers to explore adaptation solutions that can enhance infrastructure resilience in northern environments. Discussions will focus on technological innovations, monitoring approaches, suitable materials, and long-term planning strategies to maintain essential capabilities in the North.
Break
Closing session
Climate Disinformation, Political Context, and Security Challenges
As the effects of climate change intensify, debates surrounding the climate are also becoming increasingly polarized. Climate disasters, adaptation measures, and transition policies are now the target of disinformation campaigns that can influence public opinion, erode trust in institutions, and complicate collective decision-making.
This conference will explore the links between climate change, public trust, democracy, and security. It will highlight how climate disinformation, polarizing narratives, and conspiracy theories can exacerbate social tensions, undermine the credibility of scientific and governmental institutions, and weaken societies’ ability to respond effectively to climate crises. Through concrete examples and strategic analysis, the conference will also examine the consequences of these dynamics on social cohesion, risk management, the resilience of critical infrastructure, and the stability of democracies.
Participants will be invited to reflect on ways to strengthen trust, risk communication, and informational resilience in order to support effective collective action in the face of the climate and security challenges of the 21st century.
