Climate, food security and the Arctic among Canada’s intelligence priorities, Ottawa says

OTTAWA — The pressing issues of climate change and food security are on a new list of Canadian intelligence priorities, along with better-known issues such as violent extremism and espionage.

The federal government says that publishing the priority list for the first time is an important step towards greater transparency.

The government reviews the priorities every two years based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.

Once the priorities have been assessed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue guidelines to the federal agencies that produce intelligence.

Priorities include global health security, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.

The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyber threats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press