CONFRONTING SYSTEMIC SECURITY RISKS

The Council on Strategic Risks argues that the United States must adopt an integrated, whole-of-government approach to confront existential security threats. The authors propose the creation of a dedicated White House Strategy on Confronting Strategic Security Risks and specific National Security Presidential Directives to coordinate the Pentagon, intelligence community, and diplomatic agencies. Key recommendations include establishing a comprehensive Climate Security Strategy, creating a rapid response system for biological outbreaks, and reshaping nuclear doctrine to move away from destabilizing 'low yield' weapons and toward renewed arms control agreements.

• The authors recommend that the U.S. government implement an integrated approach to biological threats by creating a system of preparedness and rapid response designed to identify outbreaks, prevent pandemics, and deter the use of biological weapons.
• To address climate change as a security multiplier, the document proposes a White House-led 'whole-of-government Climate Security Strategy' that integrates climate priorities into military and diplomatic planning, 'climate-proofs' critical infrastructure, and pursues a global net-zero emissions strategy.
• The document argues that the U.S. should move away from destabilizing nuclear capabilities, specifically 'low yield' weapons that increase the risk of miscalculation, and instead commit to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and a 'sole purpose' nuclear doctrine.
• The proposal suggests a phased implementation timeline for the next administration, including immediate actions on Day 1 (such as appointing senior climate security leaders), the first 100 days (launching a Climate Security Infrastructure Initiative), and the first year (integrating climate considerations into National Security and National Defense Strategies).

APA

Parthemore, C., Conger, J., Femia, F., & Guy, K. (2020). CONFRONTING SYSTEMIC SECURITY RISKS. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Confronting-Systemic-Security-Risks_Proposals-for-the-Next-US-Administration_2020_10.pdf

Chicago

Parthemore, Christine, John Conger, Francesco Femia, and Kate Guy. CONFRONTING SYSTEMIC SECURITY RISKS. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Confronting-Systemic-Security-Risks_Proposals-for-the-Next-US-Administration_2020_10.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parthemore |first1=Christine |last2=Conger |first2=John |last3=Femia |first3=Francesco |last4=Guy |first4=Kate |title=CONFRONTING SYSTEMIC SECURITY RISKS |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=October 2020 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Confronting-Systemic-Security-Risks_Proposals-for-the-Next-US-Administration_2020_10.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parthemore2020confronting, author = {Parthemore, Christine and Conger, John and Femia, Francesco and Guy, Kate}, title = {{CONFRONTING SYSTEMIC SECURITY RISKS}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Confronting-Systemic-Security-Risks_Proposals-for-the-Next-US-Administration_2020_10.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }