A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA A PRESIDENTIAL PLAN FOR COMBATING THE SECURITY RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE L PO ICY GN I EN Y E LIG CGE R E L R O S E E EN F N T DEFE N I HOUSE E SECURI IT ND TY H LA W September 2019E M Edited by John Conger, Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell O H Chaired and in published by partnership with The Center for Climate and Security | 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW ∙ Suite 1000 ∙ Washington, DC 20036 | www.climateandsecurity.org L PO ICY GN I EN Y E LIG CGE R E L R O S E E EN F N T DEFE N I HOUSE E SECURI IT ND TY H LA W E M O H Cover Photo: Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard move through flood- waters from Hurricane Harvey. U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY 1ST LT. ZACHARY WEST. L PO ICY GN I EN Y E LIG CGE R E L The Climate and SecurityR Advisory Group (CSAG)O is a voluntary, non-partisan group S of U.S.-based military,E national security, homeland security, intelligence and foreign E EN F N policy experts from a broad range of institutions. The CSAG is Dchaired by the CenterE T for Climate and Security in partnership with the George Washington University’sEF N Elliott School of International Affairs. See page 5 for a full list of signatories of this I document. Organizational affiliations are listed for identification purposes only. HOUSE E SECURI IT ND TY H LA W E M O This report should be cited as: The Center for Climate andH Security, 2019. A Climate Security Plan for America, Washington, DC: The Climate and Security Advisory Group, Chaired by the Center for Climate and Security in partnership with George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs © 2019 The Center for Climate and Security, an institute of The Council on Strategic Risks The Center for Climate and Security | 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW ∙ Suite 1000 ∙ Washington, DC 20036 | www.climateandsecurity.org 3 CONTENTS THE CLIMATE AND SECURITY ADVISORY GROUP SIGNATORIES | 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND TOP RECOMMENDATIONS: A STRATEGIC VISION FOR CLIMATE SECURITY | 8 INTRODUCTION: THE RISKS NECESSITATING A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA | 9 A CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA | 11 I. DEMONSTRATING LEADERSHIP: MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE A VITAL NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITY | 12 RECOMMENDATIONS | 13 II. ASSESSING CLIMATE RISKS: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF UNPRECEDENTED FORESIGHT ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE | 19 RECOMMENDATIONS | 20 III. SUPPORTING ALLIES AND PARTNERS: COMPETE ON THE WORLD STAGE BY BOLSTERING CLIMATE RESILIENCE INTERNATIONALLY | 23 RECOMMENDATIONS | 24 IV. PREPARING FOR AND PREVENTING CLIMATE IMPACTS: BUILD U.S. RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE RISKS AND REDUCE THEIR SCALE AND SCOPE | 27 RECOMMENDATIONS | 28 APPENDIX: THE CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS ORGANIZED BY AGENCY | 33 WHITE HOUSE | 33 DEFENSE | 36 DIPLOMACY AND DEVELOPMENT | 41 HOMELAND SECURITY | 44 INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY | 46 OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES | 47 The Center for Climate and Security | 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW ∙ Suite 1000 ∙ Washington, DC 20036 | www.climateandsecurity.org 4 THE CLIMATE AND SECURITY ADVISORY GROUP SIGNATORIES The Climate Security Plan for America is endorsed by the following members of the Climate and Security Advisory Group. Honorable Richard Truly General Gordon Sullivan, General Larry D. Welch, Vice Admiral, US Navy (Ret) US Army (Ret) US Air Force (Ret) Former NASA Administrator Former Chief of Staff of the US Army Former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force Former Commander, Naval Space Command Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security Admiral Paul Zukunft, Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, General Anthony Zinni, US Coast Guard (Ret) US Navy (Ret) US Marine Corps (Ret) Former Commandant of the US Coast Guard Former Commander, Pacific Command Former Commander, US Central Command Advisory Board Member Advisory Board Member Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security Honorable John Conger Honorable Alice Hill Honorable Dennis McGinn Former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Former Senior Director of Resilience Policy Vice Admiral, US Navy (Ret) Defense (Comptroller) National Security Council Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy Director Advisory Board Member (Energy, Installations & Environment) The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security Advisory Board Member Honorable Miranda A. A. Ballentine Admiral Frank L. “Skip” Bowman, General Ronald E. Keys, Former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force US Navy (Ret) US Air Force (Ret) (Installations, Environment and Energy) Former Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Former Commander, Air Combat Command Advisory Board Member Program Chairman, CNA Military Advisory Board The Center for Climate and Security Advisory Board Member Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, Honorable Sherri Goodman Robert S. Taylor US Navy (Ret) Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Former Principal Deputy General Counsel, Former Commander, Allied Forces Southern (Environmental Security) Department of Defense Europe and Navy Forces Europe Advisory Board Member Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security Lieutenant General John Castellaw, Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, US Navy (Ret) Lieutenant General Arlen D. Jameson, US Marine Corps (Ret) Former Inspector General, US Air Force (Ret) Former Chief of Staff, US Central Command US Department of the Navy Former Deputy Commander, US Strategic Advisory Board Member Chairman, The Gunn Group Command The Center for Climate and Security Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security | 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW ∙ Suite 1000 ∙ Washington, DC 20036 | www.climateandsecurity.org 5 Lieutenant General Stephen Lanza, Vice Admiral Robert Parker, Lieutenant General Norman Seip, US Army (Ret) US Coast Guard (Ret) US Air Force (Ret) Former Commander, I Corps Former Coast Guard Atlantic Area Commander Former Commander, 12th Air Force Advisory Board Member Advisory Board Member Independent Consultant The Center for Climate and Security The Council on Strategic Risks NS Solutions Gregory Treverton Rear Admiral Len Hering, US Navy (Ret) Rear Admiral Ann Phillips, Former Chair, National Intelligence Council Former Commander, Navy Region Southwest US Navy (Ret) Professor of Practice Advisory Board Member Former Commander, Expeditionary Strike University of Southern California The Center for Climate and Security Group TWO Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security Rear Admiral David Titley, Rear Admiral Jonathan White, Joseph Bryan US Navy (Ret) US Navy (Ret) Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Former Oceanographer and Navigator of the President & CEO Navy Navy Consortium for Ocean Leadership (Energy) Advisory Board Member Advisory Board Member Principal The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security Muswell-Orange, LLC Brigadier General Joseph R. Barnes, Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, Brigadier General Gerald E. Galloway, US Army (Ret) US Marine Corps (Ret) US Army (Ret) Advisory Board Member Chief Executive Officer Former Dean of the Academic Board, West Point The Center for Climate and Security American Security Project Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering University of Maryland Captain Steve Brock, US Navy (Ret) Captain James C. Goudreau SC, Colonel Mark Mykleby, Senior Advisor US Navy (Ret) US Marine Corps (Ret) The Council on Strategic Risks Former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Advisory Board Member the Navy (Energy) The Center for Climate and Security Colonel Lawrence B. Wilkerson, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Bidlack, PhD, Commander Deke Slayton, US Army (Ret) US Air Force (Ret) US Navy (Ret) Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Senior Research Fellow Research Fellow, Hoover Institution Government and Public Policy The Center for Climate and Security Stanford University College of William and Mary Advisory Board Member The Center for Climate and Security Lieutenant Commander Oliver Barrett, Joshua Busby Elizabeth L. Chalecki, PhD US Navy (Ret) Associate Professor Asst Professor, International Relations Senior Research Fellow LBJ School of Public Affairs Department of Political Science The Center for Climate and Security University of Texas - Austin University of Nebraska – Omaha Nancy Colleton Taylor Dimsdale Francesco Femia President Head of Research Chief Executive Officer Institute for Global Environmental Strategies E3G The Council on Strategic Risks Co-Founder The Center for Climate and Security The Center for Climate and Security | 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW ∙ Suite 1000 ∙ Washington, DC 20036 | www.climateandsecurity.org 6 Rachel Fleishman Bishop Garrison Greg Gershuny Senior Fellow Director, National Security Outreach & Executive Director The Center for Climate and Security Veterans for American Ideals Energy & Environment Program Human Rights First The Aspen Institute Lukas Haynes Cullen Hendrix Andrew Holland Executive Director Professor Chief Operating Officer The David Rockefeller Fund Director, Sié Chéou-Kang Center for American Security Project Advisory Board Member International Security and Diplomacy The Center for Climate and Security Josef Korbel School of International Studies University of Denver Amber Houghstow Dr. Rachael Jonassen Dr. Marcus King Executive Director Associate Research Professor Associate Professor Peace Rising Sustainable Urban Planning Program The George Washington University George Washington University Advisory Board