December 15, 2020
Biden’s Intelligence Community Must Focus On Climate Crisis
President Elect Biden has signaled that he is going to treat the climate crisis as a national security issue by appointing John Kerry as his Special Envoy for Climate and making him a member of the National Security Council. For Kerry to succeed, he will need intelligence. The climate crisis is a national security issue and the Intelligence Community (IC) must respond with the same focus and investments it makes into other national security issues.
The incoming Biden administration can do much to address climate change as a national security issue.
Not only does climate change create significant security threats to America through multiplying global instability, it is also a major component of the great power competition with China and Russia. The incoming Biden administration can do much to address climate change as a national security issue. An important first step would be to make changes in the IC so it has the capabilities and focus to help policy makers preserve American interests.
Read the full article in Breaking Defense.
More from CNAS
-
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | Setting the Rules for AI WarfareThe escalating feud between the Pentagon and Anthropic, one of world’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies, highlights a crucial question that will shape security i...
By Paul Scharre
-
Technology & National Security
The Pentagon and Anthropic - NBC’s Meet the Press NowPresident Trump is in Texas speaking about the economy ahead of the state’s high-stakes primary. Retired Lt. Gen. John “Jack” Shanahan, CNAS adjunct senior fellow and former d...
By Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan
-
Technology & National Security
Fighting AI Cyberattacks Starts with Knowing They’re HappeningThis article was originally published in Lawfare. Anthropic reported in November 2025 that Chinese threat actors used its Claude model to launch widespread cyberattacks on com...
By Janet Egan & Michelle Nie
-
Technology & National Security
The Sovereignty Gap in U.S. AI StatecraftThis article was originally published in Lawfare. As the India AI Impact Summit kicks off this week, the Trump administration has embraced the language of “sovereign AI.” Thro...
By Pablo Chavez
