The events of 2022 made the security implications of climate change crystal clear – militaries around the world deployed in response to unprecedented wildfires, droughts and flooding. A global food crisis revealed the systemic strain posed by conflict and climate. A global energy crisis underscored the risks of continued reliance on fossil fuels.

Reflecting these developments, the new US National Security Strategy, released in October 2022, stated that climate change is an issue at the, “...very core of national and international security and must be treated as such.” The question now is how to move from analysis to action. What tools does the national security community need to better integrate climate considerations into its work? How can the national security community change how it does business to better prepare for a warming world? What role do national security actors have in advocating for or participating in global mitigation strategies?

Erin Sikorsky is Director of the Center for Climate and Security (CCS), and the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS). She is an expert in geopolitical risk, strategic forecasting, and the national security implications of climate change. Previously, Erin worked in the US intelligence community for over a decade, most recently serving as Deputy Director of the Strategic Futures Group on the 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. Ms. Sikorsky is an adjunct professor at George Mason University, a member of the Climate Migration Council, and serves on the advisory board of the Smith College Center for Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability. She has published articles in a range of outlets, including Foreign Policy, Survival, Lawfare, War on the Rocks, The Hill, Just Security, and The Cipher Brief. Ms. Sikorsky earned a Master of International Affairs at Columbia University, and a B.A. in government from Smith College.