CHALLENGE ACCEPTED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WAY AHEAD

The report evaluates the Biden Administration's efforts to prioritize climate security across four pillars: leadership, risk assessment, international partnerships, and resilience/prevention. While it notes significant progress in high-level leadership and the publication of risk analyses, it argues that the U.S. must move from planning to execution, specifically by increasing funding for resilient infrastructure, improving climate forecasting, and mainstreaming climate security within the State Department and military engagements.

• The U.S. Government has made significant progress in establishing climate change as a national security priority, highlighted by Executive Order 14008 and the appointment of climate advisors in key security roles, including a Special Envoy for Climate on the National Security Council.
• Progress has been made in assessing climate risks through the 2021 National Intelligence Estimate and the DoD Climate Risk Analysis, though the Department of Defense has not yet fully complied with Congressional requirements to integrate installation resilience plans into master plans.
• While the U.S. has engaged in high-level international climate diplomacy, the integration of climate security impacts into regional strategies and security assistance programs within the State Department, DoD, and USAID remains nascent.
• The U.S. government has missed opportunities to sufficiently resource the climate resilience of military installations and critical security infrastructure, despite some progress via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
• The report recommends improving climate forecasting, specifically in seasonal-to-sub-seasonal, wildfire, and ecological forecasting, to better support tactical and strategic planning.
• There is a critical need to develop a National Adaptation Plan to coordinate federal investments and incentivize resilience at state and local levels to address the increasing frequency of billion-dollar disasters.
• The U.S. should increase investments in the High North to counter the influence of Russia and China, including building a deep-water port in Alaska and fielding more ice breakers.
• The Department of Defense is urged to develop a comprehensive strategy to manage the impact of extreme heat on personnel readiness and health, as elevated temperatures reduce available training days.
• The federal government, particularly the DoD, can catalyze economy-wide emissions reductions by using its purchasing power to drive demand for carbon-pollution-free electricity and electric vehicles.

APA

Conger, J., Sikorsky, E., Femia, F., & Parthemore, C. (2022). CHALLENGE ACCEPTED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WAY AHEAD. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Challenge-Accepted_A-Progress-Report-on-the-Climate-Security-Plan-for-America_2022_3_31-1.pdf

Chicago

Conger, John, Erin Sikorsky, Francesco Femia, and Christine Parthemore. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WAY AHEAD. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2022. https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Challenge-Accepted_A-Progress-Report-on-the-Climate-Security-Plan-for-America_2022_3_31-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Conger |first1=John |last2=Sikorsky |first2=Erin |last3=Femia |first3=Francesco |last4=Parthemore |first4=Christine |title=CHALLENGE ACCEPTED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WAY AHEAD |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=March 2022 |url=https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Challenge-Accepted_A-Progress-Report-on-the-Climate-Security-Plan-for-America_2022_3_31-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{conger2022challenge, author = {Conger, John and Sikorsky, Erin and Femia, Francesco and Parthemore, Christine}, title = {{CHALLENGE ACCEPTED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CLIMATE SECURITY PLAN FOR AMERICA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WAY AHEAD}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://climateandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Challenge-Accepted_A-Progress-Report-on-the-Climate-Security-Plan-for-America_2022_3_31-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }