Climate Changing Minds: Reintroducing Climate Change Into National Security
Abstract
To help ensure the receptibility of climate change policies and operational execution, a new climate-aware generation of future defense leaders, planners, and decision-makers would help drive the process of infusing climate change policies into the center of security strategy. This paper presents a survey of student interagency future leaders, planners, and decision-makers at select National Defense University colleges. The survey is designed to sample their awareness, understanding, and appreciation of climate change impacts to national security readiness and operations. Understanding where future strategic planners lie in their understanding of climate change risks to defense readiness and operations is relevant to ensuring their ability to craft long-term strategic plans and policies designed to mitigate, at the minimum, or prevent them, at best. Leaders who possess a broader and deeper appreciation of climate change and its effects will enable the Department of Defense to successfully address climate change impacts. Based in part on the findings from the survey responses, this paper includes recommendations for achieving comprehensive, informed strategic guidance on climate change impacts to national security readiness and operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 28, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1154003
Entities
People
- Ronald D. Perkel
Organizations
- National Defense University