The Center for Climate and Security is a solutions-oriented, bridge-building research institute focused on tackling systemic climate and ecological security risks. We break down silos across disciplines to ensure climate change considerations are integrated into security policies and security concerns are integrated into climate policy, both in the United States and countries around the globe. We facilitate interdisciplinary policy development, conduct groundbreaking research and analysis, and host resources and communities of practice on the intersection of climate change and security challenges.
Lines Of Effort
- Research and Analysis: We conduct forward-leaning research and publish analysis to examine the impact of climate change on a range of national and international security issues. Our policy-relevant research seeks to translate between disciplinary divides, including on how climate change is exacerbating conflict risk; compounding food, water, and human insecurity; straining institutions, and reshaping geopolitics.
- Policy Engagement: We develop policies for governments and other stakeholders to better address the climate-security nexus, educate policymakers, and track implementation. We convene and engage policymakers and practitioners publicly and privately for discussions, events, and tabletop exercises. We are pragmatic without losing sight of the transformative changes required by climate change.
- Professional Community Development: We offer training, host resources, and cultivate professional communities and networks to develop the security workforce required by a changing climate. These include the Climate Security Working Group (a network of US academics, government officials, NGO analysts, and others), the International Military Council on Climate and Security (an international consortium of security institutions and leaders), and fellowship programs for young people in climate and ecological security. We also act as a resource hub for key climate security documents from governments and international institutions.
The Center for Climate and Security is a non-partisan institute of the Council on Strategic Risks, a non-profit organization. It was founded in 2010 by Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell.
Website: For more, visit the Center for Climate and Security website.
Team: See the Center for Climate and Security team here.
Recent content from CCS
For a full list of CCS content, see here.
- Water Weaponization: Its Forms, Its Use in the Russia-Ukraine War, and What to Do About It
Water has been associated with conflict and cooperation between states since the beginning of recorded history. In ancient Mesopotamia, a conflict over the Euphrates River between two Sumerian cities yielded the world’s first recorded treaty. However, water has just as often been weaponized during conflict—water weaponization being the exploitation of the human need for water, by deliberately rendering it scarce and/ or insecure. This briefer will highlight the core elements of water weaponization, and then assess its practice in the Russia-Ukraine war to date. - Call for Applications: Climate Security Fellows 2023-2024
The Center for Climate and Security (CCS), an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks, is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2023-2024 Climate Security Fellowship. In the last few years, extreme weather, food and energy crises,…Read More Call for Applications: Climate Security Fellows 2023-2024
- EVENT: Managing Unavoidable Climate Security Risks: U.S. Investments in Resilience
On April 27th, the Center for Climate and Security (CCS) will host the virtual roundtable, “Managing Unavoidable Climate Security Risks: U.S. Investments in Resilience” from 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern Time. - CSR Announces New Staff, Internal Moves
Continuing a trajectory of rapid growth, the Council on Strategic Risks is pleased to announce a new round of hires across its programs and role changes for existing staff. The Center for Climate and Climate and Security (CCS) added expertise across its portfolios, bringing on Tom Ellison, Patricia Parera, and Michael Zarfos to analyze ecological security risks and advance progress in addressing security threats posed by climate change. The Converging Risks Lab also welcomed Lily Boland as a new team member. - An Integrated Approach to Pandemic Prevention
Habitat fragmentation, ecosystem degradation, land conversion, deforestation, and wildlife trade have all contributed to the steady increase in disease spillover over the past several decades.