Australia faces a more dangerous world as the Trump administration backs away from climate action, a former Defence chief has warned.
Admiral Chris Barrie wants climate change "front and centre" of Australian foreign policy, reflecting the scale of the challenge and the leadership void left by the United States.
"President Donald Trump is unwinding everything the US has put in place to combat climate change challenges," the former chief of Australia's Defence Forces told reporters on Tuesday.
"And that's going to create a much more dangerous world for all of us."
Since the Republican president took office, his administration has pledged to exit the Paris climate agreement, taken aim at the offshore wind industry, and withdrawn support for various climate-related research and monitoring programs.
The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, of which Admiral Barrie is a founding member, believes the country needs to do more to prepare for the security risks of climate change under these circumstances.
Tuesday's report from the group says that if average global temperatures exceed 3C, which is possible by the end of the century under existing policies, large parts of the tropics will be "near-unliveable" due to extreme heat.
"Three degrees will very likely mean widespread social conflict, large-scale people displacement, war, failed states and social collapse," the report said.
The security leaders were flanked by federal crossbenchers in Parliament House on Tuesday urging the government to step up on climate security, including calling for the public release of the Office of National Intelligence's assessment of climate risks.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who worked as an intelligence analyst at the agency before entering politics, said Australians deserved to see a redacted version of the report.
"The fact that the Australian government refuses to release even a redacted version of that Office of National Intelligence report into the security implications of climate change is frankly unfathomable," he told reporters in Canberra.
The former national security leaders want foreign policy to reflect the threat posed by climate change, recommending the pursuit of climate-conditioned trade and investment linked to promises to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and similar commitments.
Reforming laws to prepare for climate migration and boosting finance for climate-vulnerable regions were also suggested.
Independent MP Zali Steggall urged the government to spend more on climate resiliency for Pacific neighbours.
"We see the government not even blink at spending something like $650 million establishing an NRL team in Papua New Guinea," she said.
"I would respectfully say that much more effect could be gained in soft diplomacy through our foreign aid budgets to ensure stability in our region by assisting them in building their climate resilience."
The federal government is preparing its contribution to world temperature goals, a requirement every five years under the global pact and due before the next climate talks in Brazil.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said it would be an ambitious but achievable target.
"There's no point the government's seeing a target which we know we can't meet," he told the Farming Forever conference in Canberra.
"Equally, there's no point setting a target which is so achievable that it's not ambitious."
