The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security host a public fireside chat discussing climate change as a “threat multiplier” faced by the US defense and global security apparatus. This event will take place at the Atlantic Council’s headquarters on Monday, September 9 at 4:00 pm ET. 

Climate change exacerbates nearly every threat the world faces, from violent extremists weaponizing resource scarcity to developing nations buckling under severe weather, while adversarial powers like Russia and China exploit these vulnerabilities to advance their aggressive interests. 

The US military has recognized this challenge and has emerged as a leader in clean energy and climate resilience, a transformation detailed by Sherri Goodman, the Pentagon’s first and former Chief Environmental Officer, in her book, Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security. Goodman illustrates how the military has integrated climate considerations into strategic planning, from war games and disaster relief to base design and international diplomacy. 

Join us as Goodman addresses critical questions from her book such as: How have military leaders revised national defense strategies to address climate change as a threat multiplier? How can contingency plans be optimized to enhance operational readiness and resilience against climate impacts? How are adversaries like China and Russia leveraging climate change to further their geostrategic agendas? 

For more information, please contact Chase Thalheimer, Assistant Director, Global Energy Center at CThalheimer@AtlanticCouncil.org.