Background

The CNA Corporation brought together 11 of the most respected former United States military flag officers to consider the potential effects of climate change on America's national security.

The group — known as the Military Advisory Board, or MAB — met over the last 8 months with military, intelligence and diplomatic experts, climate scientists, business leaders, and foreign officials including representatives of the British Government on issues of security and climate.

The MAB members represent all branches of the military and have served in senior positions in all regions of the world. Their broad scope of experience enabled them to formulate their own assessment of how the global effects of climate change could influence geo-political balance and U.S. security interests around the world, as well as how its effects on the U.S. could create special demands on the Guard and Reserves.

“National Security and the Threat of Climate Change” represents the collective views of the MAB.

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• Q. What is “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change”?

  A. “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change” is a report that evaluates the likely effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, increased desertification and availability of critical resources such as food, water and energy, and how those changes could trigger conflicts around the globe. It explores ways projected climate change is a “threat multiplier” in already fragile regions, exacerbating conditions that contribute to failed states — the breeding grounds for humanitarian disasters, extremism and violence. It includes analysis of the implications for U.S. military planning over the next 30 to 40 years, which is the timeframe that coincides with future defense planning horizons and weapons system life cycles.

• Q. What is the MAB, or Military Advisory Board?

  A. The Military Advisory Board consists of eleven retired three- and four-star admirals and generals, representing all four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Gen. Gordon Sullivan, USA (ret), former Army Chief of Staff and current president of the Association of the United States Army, is the MAB Chairman.

• Q. Why did the CNA Corporation establish this panel and write this report?

  A. To educate the public and policy makers about the implications of climate change to America's national security. The MAB members were invited based on their command and national security planning experience in the U.S. Armed Forces.

• Q. Is there a particular political position supported by this report?

  A. Members of the MAB are united in their conclusion that climate change represents a risk to American national security. The MAB's purpose is to help Americans understand the risks of climate change to our security and encourage policymakers and military planners to begin planning to avoid these risks.

• Q. What is the CNA Corporation?

  A. The CNA Corporation is a non-profit organization that provides in-depth, independent research and analysis to inform the important work of public sector leaders. The CNA Corporation (CNAC) operates the Center for Naval Analyses and the Institute for Public Research. CNAC's roots trace back to 1942 and World War II. During this period CNAC's scientists conducted seminal research that helped the Allied Forces minimize the German U-Boat threat. In the process, they pioneered the field of operations research and analysis, now a distinct field of study and a series of analytical techniques widely used in both military and civil society. Building on this rich history and their innovative approaches to solving national security and defense issues, CNAC now applies its expertise to address a broader range of public policy challenges.

• Q. What climate science was considered in the drafting of “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change”?

  A. The MAB received numerous briefings on the available science on climate change, to include both empirical evidence of climate change that has already occurred and is occurring today, as well as projections of future climate change. They came to the conclusion that the evidence is sufficiently compelling and the consequences sufficiently grave that this issue requires substantially more analytical effort by the intelligence community and defense planners to mitigate and adapt to the potential threats of climate change.

• Q. How can I invite a MAB member to speak to a group or conduct an interview?

  A. Contact Noel Gerson, Vice President of Communications at the CNA Corporation at 703-824-2758 or at gersonn@cna.org.