By Erin Sikorsky and Brigitte Hugh In late 2021, the Biden Administration released a suite of national security and foreign policy documents[1] that according to the administration, would “serve as a foundation for [its] critical work on climate and security moving forward.”[2] This briefer synthesizes four key takeaways of these reports: 1) Climate change is…
The Center for Climate and Security (CCS) is growing, and we’re excited to announce the newest additions to our team—program assistants Elsa Barron and Brigitte Hugh. As we enter a new year with lots to cover on climate and security, we wanted to start with a few introductions. CCS: Where are you from? Elsa Barron…
By John Conger and Erin Sikorsky On January 5, the Washington Post published an analysis of climate change-related emergencies in 2021 and concluded that more than 40 percent of Americans live in counties that were covered by federal disaster declarations in the past year. The devastating effects of the severe storms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and…
By Brigitte Hugh On January 13, 2022, join the Center for Climate and Security as we host Jumpstarting Demand for Climate Solutions: The First Movers Coalition and US National Security, a panel discussion featuring representatives from the Department of Defense, Department of State, and industry leaders from 10-11 am EST. Click here to RSVP. Context:…
By John Conger Last week, President Biden signed the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), that Congress passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. The bill included numerous climate security measures that echo a number of key recommendations in the Center for Climate and Security’s Climate Security Plan for America (CSPA). Over the past several…
By Joon Hwang 2021 was a momentous year for climate security. From President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, to NATO’s Climate and Security Plan of Action, to stacks of climate security reports from US federal agencies, to the increasing number of climate hazards driving security risks around the…
By Mark Nevitt Earlier this week, the UN Security Council failed to pass a draft resolution that would have defined climate change as a “threat to peace” within Article 39 of the UN Charter. Under international law, this critical threat to peace determination acts as a key that opens the door to supplemental legal authorities.…
By Brigitte Hugh “We’re really on a good path to mainstreaming climate and security…and that’s a major accomplishment,” said Sherri Goodman, Senior Strategist at the Center for Climate and Security (CCS), during a recent CCS event. The event was about taking stock of the US government’s progress toward implementing President Biden’s Executive Orders on Tackling…
By Dr. Marc Kodack On November 20, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber held a virtual hearing entitled “National Security Implications of Climate Change in the Arctic.” Witnesses providing written statements and answering questions included retired Admiral Paul Zukunft, Former Commandant of U.S. Coast Guard and an Advisory…
By Christine Parthemore I had the honor of delivering a keynote speech at a COP26 side event hosted by the International Forum for Understanding on November 1, 2021, on the subject of nuclear war and climate change. My remarks were followed by a panel of talented, cross-discipline emerging leaders. The evening was capped with a…