Summary
- Former Director, Preparedness & Mobilisation, Australian Defence.
- Founded Defence Climate & Security Office; led energy sustainability initiatives.
- Authored Defence Energy Integration Framework and Senate climate submission.
- 15-year Australian Army veteran in intelligence and domestic security.
Cheryl Durrant is the Former Director of Preparedness and Mobilisation, Australian Department of Defence. In this capacity Cheryl led the climate risk scenario development for the Australian Interdepartmental Secretaries’ Group on Climate Risk and was also the Defence partner with the Australian National Resilience Taskforce’s Disaster Vulnerability Profiling Project. Cheryl previously led the Australian Department of Defence’s Global Change and Energy Sustainability Initiative and established the Office of the Defence Climate and Security Adviser. She was the lead author of the Defence Energy Integration Framework and for the Department’s Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Implications of Climate Change for Australia’s National Security. She has been instrumental in raising climate security and energy sustainability awareness across Australian Government agencies. Prior to her civilian career, Cheryl served 15 years with the Australian Army, specialising in strategic intelligence, information operations and domestic security.
Climate change poses a dilemma for security professionals because it is a problem that is without boundaries. It doesn’t follow standard geopolitical thinking.
