Shifting the Climate Security Narrative: How the Department of Defense Can Lead

Sep 18, 2023 | Cara Condit
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In 2021, US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III referred to climate change as an “existential threat”—a term traditionally reserved for nuclear weapons. Yet two years and several strategic plans later, tangible progress to mitigate and prepare for this threat remains elusive, especially on the international scale where the greatest impacts could be realized.

Competing demands, obscurely funded projects, and a general preference for short-term talking points over long-term capacity building continue to stymie federal response. An actionable strategy will require a renewed commitment, an emphasis on equity and transparency, and a minor legislative change.

The US Department of Defense (DOD) is a key part of the equation. It must recognize its leadership role and develop evidence-based policies. Incorporating knowledge that reflects the academic rigor of international experts who study climate change—as well as the broader political and socio-economic influences that contribute to unstable and fragile states—is essential.

Through the integration of emerging technology, evidence-backed research, accountable funding streams, and cooperative foreign policy, the US Department of Defense is poised to lead the fight in a war that many observers did not anticipate.