General (ret.) Tom Middendorp began his military career in 1979 at the Royal Military
Academy in Breda and graduated in 1983 as an Officer in the Engineer Corps. Over the
course of 38 years, he held leadership positions at all levels within the Dutch Ministry of
Defence, including multiple operational deployments to Afghanistan, where he led a
large multinational task force in 2009. As Director of Operations, he was involved in
approximately 20 international missions, providing him with deep insights into the
dynamics behind numerous conflicts. Subsequently, as Commander of the Armed
Forces (2012-2017), he led the Dutch military through a period of significant budget cuts
and reforms, successfully reversing 40 years of austerity measures.
Middendorp gained global recognition as the "Climate General" by being the first activeserving military officer to highlight the link between climate change and security,
sparking an important debate at leading security conferences like Halifax and the
Munich Security Conference. He is now a highly sought-after speaker and panelist at
(inter)national forums, where he applies his unique security expertise to address
geopolitical shifts and the impact of climate change on our security and resilience.
As the founder and chairman of the International Military Council on Climate and
Security (IMCCS), he plays a leading role in uniting global military leaders and scientific
institutions around climate-related security challenges. He is also a Senior Visiting
Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, a Strategic Security Expert at The Hague Centre for
Strategic Studies, and a Special Envoy for European Defence Cooperation.
During the COVID crisis, he introduced rapid testing in the Netherlands and led a unique
public-private partnership in collaboration with VNO/NCW, tripling national testing
capacity in just two months. His book Klimaatgeneraal (Climate General) was released
in 2022 and translated into English and French in 2023, followed by a three-part
documentary. In 2024, he published Vredesparadox (The Peace Paradox), outlining the
major changes ahead and emphasizing the need to strengthen our resilience in
preparation for the new era now unfolding. Thanks to his efforts, NATO, the EU, and an
increasing number of companies have recognized climate change as a crucial factor for
geopolitical stability, supply chains, and markets