President Obama issued a new policy directive Wednesday to consider the effects of climate change in developing national security policy and planning across all major security agencies and the military.
“Today, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Climate Change and National Security, establishing a policy that the impacts of climate change must be considered in the development of national security-related doctrine, policies, and plans,” the White House said. “To achieve this, 20 federal agencies and offices with climate science, intelligence analysis, and national security policy development missions and responsibilities will collaborate to ensure the best information on climate impacts is available to strengthen our national security.”
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White House special assistant to the president, Alice Hill, told reporters that the presidential memo will “prioritize climate threats” to identify the most significant risks to the nation’s security and drive full consideration of climate change effects into national security plans and policies.
The policy change comes one week after the president said that climate change discussions have moved from the Oval Office to the “Situation Room,” where he convenes with national security experts and the military to address active threats to the United States.
The threats from climate change “are already here and anticipated to grow,” Hill said. The memo “anchors” U.S. policy in facing down global conflicts that are only increasing because of climate change, she said. It also addresses the effects of climate, such as sea-level rise, as a threat to military readiness, as well as how to plan for changes affecting forces deployed overseas.
