The Center for Climate and Security Welcomes Erin Sikorsky as Deputy Director
The Center for Climate and Security, an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR), is delighted to welcome Erin Sikorsky as its new Deputy Director, and Director of the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS). Previously, Ms. Sikorsky served as the Deputy Director of the Strategic Futures Group on the US National Intelligence Council (NIC), where she co-authored the quadrennial Global Trends report and led the US intelligence community’s environmental and climate security analysis. She is also the founding chair of the Climate Security Advisory Council, a Congressionally-mandated group designed to facilitate coordination between the intelligence community and US government scientific agencies on climate security matters. Ms. Sikorsky worked in the US intelligence community for over a decade. Prior to joining the NIC, she led teams covering a range of issues related to the Middle East and Africa. Ms. Sikorsky earned a Master of International Affairs at Columbia University, and a B.A. in government from Smith College.
Ms. Sikorsky brings an incredible depth of experience and expertise on climate security to the Center for Climate and Security, and we could not be more thrilled to work with her.
U.S. National Intelligence Council: Global Water Insecurity to Increase Over the Next 30 Years
Responding to a Congressional request, the U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC) recently released an unclassified memo from July (here) examining global water security over the next 30 years. The NIC examined multiple variables including economic, agricultural, and environmental. Countries that are unable to provide sufficient water for their populations will experience lowered public health, reduced gross domestic production, decreases in economic well-being, and break-downs in political relationships. Transboundary water issues may become more common potentially leading to increased tensions between countries. All these consequences will be further amplified by the effects of climate change pressing against water security. As the memo notes: “multiple climate change models indicate increasing variability, intensity, and occurrence of droughts and floods.” These models forecast reductions in rainfall and increased temperatures leading to greater evaporation rates. Extreme weather will become more common leading greater chances of damage and destruction.
(more…)A Climate Security Plan for America Part 1: Demonstrate Leadership
By John Conger
Part 1 of 4 in the Climate Security Plan for America Blog Series
In late 2019, the Center for Climate and Security-led Climate Security Advisory Group, a group of senior U.S. national security and military experts, including eight retired four-star generals and admirals, published the A Climate Security Plan for America. These leaders outlined a comprehensive plan to elevate climate change as a security priority and offered recommendations in four broad categories. This blog discusses the first, Demonstrating Leadership.
As we stated in the report, we believed that in order to successfully counter climate security challenges, it must be an articulated priority of the U.S. President. Check. President-elect Biden has repeated often that he seeks to make climate change “a core national security priority.” He named former Secretary Kerry as his “climate envoy” with a seat on the National Security Council. For his own part, Secretary Kerry’s initial comments on his new role have focused on the security threat posed by climate change.
(more…)EVENT: Climate Change – A Core National Security Priority in the Incoming Administration, Dec 15
Planning for the First Hundred Days and Beyond
Date: Dec 15, 2-4pm (Eastern Time)
Update (12/16/2020): See a recording of the virtual event below
In this virtual event hosted by the Center for Climate and Security (CCS), an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks, we will explore how the incoming U.S. Administration of Joe Biden should position itself to meet the threat of climate change from the outset. We’ll discuss the commitments he’s already made; we will discuss recommendations from the Climate Security Plan for America – published by CCS and endorsed by dozens of military, foreign policy and intelligence experts, including eight retired four-star generals and admirals; and we will highlight steps that President-Elect Biden and his team should take in the first hundred days to establish a firm foundation to address climate security threats.
We’ll hear from a distinguished panel of CCS experts to discuss these matters, each of whom has invaluable experience driving progress on climate and security within the Federal Government: the Honorable Sherri Goodman, the Honorable Alice Hill, the Honorable Dennis McGinn and the Honorable Miranda Ballentine. The panel will be moderated by John Conger, Director of the Center for Climate and Security.
To RSVP, please email events@climateandsecurity.org. We will provide the Zoom link to attendees.
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