Pentagon declares climate change threatens U.S. national security

The Pentagon has produced its first report on the effects of climate change on the agency. Climate change is creating new threats, changing the strategic security environment, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

“Extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change are increasingly damaging infrastructure, disrupting supply chains, affecting combat readiness and operations, and contributing to humanitarian crises and instabilities around the world,” Austin said.

“The Defense Department’s risk analysis makes it clear that climate change is changing the strategic and security environment, creating complex threats to the U.S. and countries around the world. Climate change is also changing our strategic interests. The competitive advantage in the future will go to whoever can fight and win in a rapidly changing strategic and physical environment,” Austin said.

“To deter war and protect the country, the department needs to understand how climate change affects our missions, plans and capabilities,” he concluded.