The 4th edition of the Montréal Summit is co-hosted by the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) and the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute, building on the successful partnership initiated with the 3^rd edition, in 2024.

The first two editions of the Summit were led by the CDA Institute. With the establishment of the CCASCOE in Montréal in 2023, the two organizations have joined forces to build on previous efforts and generate a landmark venue to discuss climate security between NATO Allies and beyond.

The Conference of Defence Associations is a leading defence and security think tank founded in 1932, which brings together 45 member associations representing over 400,000 active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadians with a close connection to national defence and security. In 1987, the CDA founded a separate Institute as a charitable organization with the mission to advance informed debate on national security issues. As the first dedicated programme in a Canadian defense think tank, the CDA Institute’s Climate Security Programme positions the Institute at the forefront of efforts to understand and address the complex intersections between climate change and Canadian security and defence – including operational readiness, geopolitical risks, and societal resilience. Through its activities promoting expertise, research and analysis on the climate-security nexus, the Climate Security Programme aims to: inform the national debate and Canada’s role in global policy efforts on climate security; strengthen the Canadian climate-security community of practitioners, scholars, policymakers and industry stakeholders; advance interdisciplinary approaches to climate security; and support the development of practical solutions to mitigate and adapt to the emerging defence and security challenges shaped by climate change.

The CCASCOE is the 30^th NATO Centre of Excellence. Canada, the framework nation, was joined in contributing to this centre by Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Its opening in October 2023 and its accreditation to NATO in May 2024 represent milestones to address the implementation of the NATO Climate Change and Security Action Plan and contribute to NATO’s overall military readiness, deterrence and defence posture. To achieve its objectives, CCASCOE’s mission is based on four pillars: Increasing Allied awareness of the security implications of climate change; Adapting to the impact of climate change across NATO and beyond; Mitigating NATO’s impact on climate change while preserving and strengthening our military effectiveness and interoperability; and Conducting outreach and strengthening cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders. CCASCOE aims to be an internationally recognized hub of expertise on climate change and security for military and civilian experts and decision-makers.