Introduction
While the U.S. has shifted its position away from causal reasons behind climate change, the Department of Defense (DOD) along with key policymaking entities, have remained consistent in their awareness of the need to adapt to the shifting defense environment in which the United State operates. In order to address necessary adaptations, the DOD has released a Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap detailing a number of initiatives to increase military resiliency. However, this plan lacks concrete steps to accomplish the proposed initiatives. Other nations have created and implemented a number of policies that address military resilience to climate change, many of which the United States can incorporate into its own adaptation policies.
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The objective of the proposed policy innovations is to establish best practices, identify key policies across governmental systems, and to outline key policies mechanisms for reducing the impact of climate change on military functions, installments, and overall effectiveness. This assessment will focus on three international case studies for adapting to climate change in the arctic region, the ability to transfer best practices to the United States, along with the feasibility to adapt identified best practices in the current political and bureaucratic presence. This report also seeks outline identified and effective policies in limiting the impact of climate-related changes to military contingencies. The said areas will elaborate upon identifiable issues relating to climate mitigation strategies, implementation, and overall bureaucratic adjustment in relation to the defense strategy.
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In addition to identifying key issues, this report looks to identify established best practices and key legislative templates across governmental systems that are key in the implementation process and institutional adaptation. This report will be identify and proposal based, meaning that it will look to adapt best international practices for defense cooperation, contingency and operation changes to climate change, along with defense related investments being made in vulnerable regions.
Policy Innovation
Carbon Budget for Defense (United Kingdom)
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The United Kingdom (UK) passed the Climate Change Act 2008, which incorporates the implementation of carbon budgets across government agencies to address concerns of the rapidly increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The purpose of the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) Climate Change Delivery Plan is to lay out how to mitigate climate change by meeting the MOD carbon budget, as well as how to adapt to climate change. Progress will be reported primarily through the annual MOD Sustainable Development Report. The plan is broken down into three major sections: Mitigation Strategy, Adaptation, and Sustainable Procurement. Each section is broken down further with each part containing a specific target followed by actions to reach the target, the date the target is to be reached, and who is responsible for implementing the action.
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The Mitigation Strategy is comprised of methods to meet the carbon budget by addressing operational energy use and public sector emissions. The operational energy portion has the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by equipment (ground, air, sea). Actions to achieve the target include the creation of an Operational Energy Roadmap and the determination of the amount of fuel and energy utilized by operational vehicles and equipment. Public sector emissions encompass estate energy and business administration travel. As with operational energy, each part contains targets and actions. For the public sector emissions, the goal is to reduce emissions by 34% with results reported annually (Figure 1).
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The reduction of estate energy consumption is also addressed in the plan with the goal of a 12.5% reduction overall. A number of strategies will be utilized to achieve this goal. One such strategy is to invest in low carbon and renewable energy sources by conducting SMART metering, spend to save audits, other actions further detailed in the table below (Figure 2).
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Another strategy implemented is to reduce energy consumption by improving information communication technologies (ICT). The targets for this strategy are based on the 2009 Green ICT Roadmap and incorporated increased use of video conferencing and the any new MOD ICT will be carbon neutral (Figure 3).
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​The plan also discusses the reduction of emissions and energy consumption through alterations in business travel. It specifically addresses travel avoidance, rail travel, road travel, and air travel. Travel avoidance can be increased through the implementation of the improved ICT described above, as teleconferencing can decrease the amount of travel by MOD personnel. Moreover, rail travel should be reviewed for sustainability, and the fleet of vehicles used by the MOD will continue to be replaced by more energy efficient vehicles and will be equipped with Electronic Driver Assistance devices to educate drivers on more sustainable driving practices (7). As with rail travel, air travel will also be reviewed for sustainability (Figure 4).
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The Adaptation section contains policy planning, capability planning, and estate adaptations. Its organization mirrors that of the Mitigation Strategy section in that each aspect of the section contains targets, actions to take to reach the targets, and assigns the responsibility of policy and implementation to a specific entity. The plan emphasizes the need to establish a framework of reporting and managing the threats of climate change to national security (Figure 5).
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The UK will conduct a Climate Change Risk Assessment in order to provide policy makers the risks of climate change to the UK. The MOD will be responsible for supporting the assessment to ensure accurate results are provided to policy makers. Just as with policy, the plan emphasizes the growing impact climate change will have on strategic planning. In order to be able to effectively plan and respond to events that fall under MOD jurisdiction, it must take climate change into account. The estate of the MOD itself also must be resilient to the effects of climate change. A risk and preparedness assessment will be conducted for both new and existing estate projects, with recurring assessments performed on an annual basis. All new projects will need to achieve an “Excellent” rating when assessed by the Defence Related Environmental Assessment Method (DREAM) or Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) (which includes question sets on climate change mitigation and adaptation) (12). Existing projects are subject to review by the Climate Impact Risk Assessment Methodology (CIRAM) and must make strides to meet its standards (Figure 6).
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The Sustainable Procurement section details the reduction of emissions by MOD suppliers. It has joined the Public Procurement Programme funded by the non-profit Carbon Disclosure Project in order to work with its suppliers to measure and appropriate carbon emissions relating to MOD business (14).
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Climate Change Adaptation (Norway)
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Over the past 100 years, the Norwegian climate has become warmer and precipitation has increased by about 20%. These trends are expected to continue. It is estimated that the annual mean temperature in Norway will rise by between 2.3 and 4.6 °C by the end of this century relative to the period 1961–90. Similarly, it is estimated that precipitation may rise between 5 and 30%. These projections also indicate an increase in intense precipitation events, which would, increase the risk of certain types of flooding, landslides, and avalanches.
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Drastic weather changes as a result of climate change are directly affecting Norway's ecosystems and agriculture. An increase in precipitation will erode Norway’s landscapes and flood their agricultural planes. Additionally, many species will lose their habitats as the treelines subside to the North and the Arctic ice melts, further stressing the potential for extinction. Invasive species of plants and animals will travel North to shift their habitat because of the changing temperatures due to climate change. It is unknown how these invasive species will engage with Norway’s indigenous species. Norway is also home to the glaciers of Svalbard. These are key contributors to sea level rise as the Archipelago accounts for 11% of Arctic land ice, apart from Greenland. Melting in Svalbard is extensive and is in line with both Arctic and global trends. This melting will cause the oceans to further rise and threaten the structure of Norway’s coastal cities and security.
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Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)
In order to combat climate change, Norway’s government initially adopted the MIK reform programme in the 1990s, which was organised and financed by the MoE. The MIK reform was an ambitious way to strengthen the ability of local authorities to implement national environmental policies. The MIK reform was presented as a collaboration between the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS). This reform entailed diffusing emergency response efforts from central military authorities to the civil protection authorities. However, the MIK reform was just the beginning of multiple reform policies. Norway attempted to integrate three environmental policies to combat climate change: Local Agenda 21 (LA21), local climate change mitigation (CCM) and local climate change adaptation (CCA). The policy that was found to be most effective and was widely integrated into the national and local levels of Norway is the Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) policy. Under this policy Norway tasked civil protection teams, environmental planners, and local authorities to make proactive climate change adaptations to Norway’s landscape and infrastructure.
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National level of CCA Policy
Norway established the cross-ministerial working group of the CCA to oversee and coordinate CCA into all ministries nationally. Civil defence appears in the government sector and national level as the most proactive at integrating CCA. Preparing for extreme weather events caused by climate change is a central task of the Civil Protection System in Norway. This system was established in developed countries during wartime as a supplement to the military defense system to protect civilians but has been reformed to aid with needed climate change adaptations.
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CCA policy integration began with new instruction and assessment of safe land use planning. First, in 2007, the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) included questions on CCA in their annual surveys on how municipalities are working with civil defence. Secondly, in 2009, the civil defence department at the County Governor was instructed to start checking whether or not local land-use plans included risk assessments on climate change and natural hazards. The argument for delegating the responsibility to the local level is that climate changes bring local variations and that it is at the local level that vulnerabilities unfold. Implementing adaptation to climate change at the local level.Thus, the local level has the best knowledge of local effects and local needs and thereby the best authority level to develop an appropriate adaptation policy. Once the environment is assessed the DSB can use tools like spatial planning to adapt cities and landscapes. Spatial planning (at the local level) plays a critical role in promoting a robust adaptation, as building climate change considerations into planning processes and systems demands early action, which is often more cost-efficient.
Arctic Security (Denmark)
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The 2019-2020 Danish Foreign and Security Policy Strategy states that ensuring a peaceful Arctic with sustainable economic development is a priority for the Kingdom of Denmark. The Arctic features prominently both in the Defence Agreement (2018-2023) and Strategy for the Arctic (2011-2020). The current Defence Agreement, which covers 2018-2023, substantially increases defense spending to bolster the capabilities of the Danish armed forces, with a particular emphasis on increasing Denmark’s contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s collective defense, including in the Arctic (CSIS).
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The Danish Joint Operational Command (DJOC) has wide ranging oversight of arctic operations and is the key shareholder in command of the arctic region in Europe. The outlying priorities of DJOC and overall relationship between agencies, military bodies and other shareholders are significant to the overall Western presence in the arctic circle. This presence, in cooperation with the United States, Canadian, and key European partners, has provided a key strategic alliance, alas one that lacks a cohesive deterence strategy in the region.
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As early as 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin has portrayed Russia as a facilitator of the Northern Sea Route, an internal passage through the region, which has been seen as illegitimate in the eyes of international observers. While Russia has been acting within international convention, increased concern has arisen from the inherent geopolitical and economic conditions in which the passage is derived and the possibility for further regional tension to rise out of the initiative. This concern has lead to a direct reassessment of both military operations and other related economic activities in the region specifically from the United States, Canada, and Denmark.
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These three NATO members are well aware of the contradictions, challenges, and opportunities presented by increased economic and military activity in the Arctic. While they have different approaches to the challenges presented in the region, there are common elements across member states. These include investing in greater, more sustainable operational measures, surveillance and maritime systems to combat the challenges of this ever-changing region.
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The Kingdom of Denmark is located directly in the Arctic. Mainland Denmark, as well as Greenland and the Faroe Islands, are encountering the difficulties of a changing climate. Due to emerging security threats in the Arctic, Denmark is taken a multitude of actions to adapt to climate concerns through its military actions. These are taken within the context of its 2019-2020 Danish Foreign and Security Policy Strategy.
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The three autonomous regions of the Kingdom of Denmark represent an area that is “one and a half times the area of Alaska”. According to Major General Kim J. Jorgensen, the Kingdom of Denmark faces “a challenging climate, extreme distances, limited population, and a lack of infrastructure”. Its icecap covers 80% of Greenland and vast areas of the Kingdom is uninhabited aside from its national military presence and US Air Base in the northwest.
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Significant changes to the Arctic directly affect the Kingdom of Denmark. Climate change is resulting in rising air and water temperatures, the melting of sea ice, and the reduction in the ice sheet covering Greenland. This will release a significant amount of stored carbon, resulting in an exponential increase in temperature. Further, the loss in biodiversity will cause a ripple in the ecosystems of Greenland, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands. In addition, technology advances and strategic military advances into the international territory of the Arctic challenge Denmark’s military presence.
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Defense Priorities
The Danish Foreign and Security Strategy 2019-2020 was formulated in such a way as to prioritize a peaceful Arctic. Denmark cites economic development as a priority and its military actions to this end fit in the larger context of its 2018-2023 Defence Agreement and 2011-2020 Strategy for the Arctic. These actions seek to increase maritime surveillance, invest in more sustainable and survivable platforms, and incorporate a whole-of-government approach for Arctic activity.
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The Defense Agreement (2018-2023) accounts for better maritime security through increases to the defense budget. This allowed for increased contribution to NATO’s Collective Defense in the Arctic. This Arctic branch is part of NATO’s larger collective defense strategy (Haftendorn, 2011). The military alliance seeks to maintain peace as the region opens to oil exploration and shipping opportunities. Budget increases will allow Denmark to:
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Update its warships with air defense capabilities
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Add anti-submarine technology to its naval fleet
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Replace outdated aircraft
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Joint Arctic Command
Denmark operates in the Arctic under its Joint Arctic Command theater. It is headquartered in Greenland. The Command conducts operations on land, at sea, and on ice. It is currently expanding its reach as a means to improve the capacity of the armed forces. New technology innovations and partnerships have allowed the Joint Arctic Command to operate in snow, ice, and gravel. As climate change intensifies conditions in the Arctic, adaptation through technology becomes increasingly important.
The Joint Arctic Command has prioritized operations that fit the needs of the land and climatic conditions in Greenland, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands. Primarily, the Command uses dog sleds for mobility, as sleds are the easiest (and most traditional) way to get around in Greenland. Soldiers are additionally trained for work in the Arctic.
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Recently, the Joint Arctic Command has reached out to strategic partners (i.e. the United States, Canada, Iceland, and France). In 2019, Denmark participated in an exercise with the Arctic Coast Guard Forum to practice its search and rescue capabilities.
Carbon Budget for Defense (United Kingdom)
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According to the 2017-2018 Sustainable Annual Report, the MOD has “ exceeded the original target of an 18% reduction in fuel consumption from a 2009/10 baseline” (25). Furthermore the goal of a 30% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases has also been exceeded with an emission reduction of 36% two years before the deadline (28) (Figure 7). The MOD has also completed over 100 CIRAMs and has began reviewing previous CIRAMs.
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Progress has additionally been made in improving the sustainability of a variety of equipment utilized by the MOD. For example, the implementation of the Hydrodynamic Improvement Programme has made significant strides in increasing the fuel efficiency of Type 23 Frigates through design improvements of the transom flap, rudder and a new propeller boss cap without a loss of maneuverability and stability. With the success seen with the Type 23 Frigate, the program is being expanded to other types of vessels (32).
The amount and efficiency of travel has been successfully addressed as well. Increased use of remote and teleconferencing has decreased travel rates. As shown in the table below, all methods of travel mentioned in the MOD Climate Change Delivery Plan examined above have experienced reduced emission rates (43) (Figure 8).
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The policy has been effective due to a clear outline of targets, completion dates, and responsible parties for each target area. Furthermore, the widespread support for addressing climate change within both the United Kingdom’s governing body and populace has enabled a smoother transition to the policies and procedures enacted to reduce emission rates throughout the Ministry of Defense and its activities worldwide.
Norway- Integrated Risk Management
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Successful Case Studies
Stavanger is the only municipality that achieves a score of 4. Adaptation to climate change is an assigned task for the municipality's emergency preparedness section, and one of the officers in this section coordinates adaptation across various municipal departments. This section is responsible for implementing and coordinating emergency preparedness and security strategies across all municipal units and sectors to which adaptation to climate change has been added. Adaptation to climate change is included in the municipal plan, and adaptation measures are outlined in the municipality's economic action plan and water and sanitation plan. The municipality has developed tools and methods for assessing climate change risks and vulnerabilities. Two regulatory measures have been implemented: (1) increased minimum building distance from the sea level and (2) all new property development projects are required to not increase the amount of water in the drainage system, for the drainage system to be able to handle the expected increase in future extreme precipitation events. The municipality has also implemented an organisational measure: it requires that all relevant staff undergo training in climate adaptation GIS tools and climate RVA methods. Stavanger is also taking part in the Cities of the Future network.
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Bergen has its own climate unit and participates in many projects covering sea level rise, water supply and outlet systems, river floods, and surface water handling. The non-structural climate change adaptation measures in Bergen consist of both regulations and tools. A separate chapter on climate change adaptation has been included in the municipality's Climate and Energy Action Plan. Climate change adaptation is also anchored in the two sections in the Municipal plan – land use and civil protection and emergency planning. One example of land-use planning is that Bergen, being a coastal municipality, has raised the allowed altitude under which construction is prohibited. The municipality has also established new routines whereby case workers in the planning sector have mapping tools to assist them when handling applications in order to identify potentially exposed areas.
In addition, Bergen has recognised a need for structural measures. Physical installations are planned in connection with sea level rise and water and sewage. Additionally, one river is particularly exposed to flooding, largely because of human activities, and thus flood prevention is necessary. With the implementation of these measures, Bergen achieves a 3 on our set of indicators.
Denmark- Arctic Security
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https://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/11/14/denmarks-strategy-for-the-arctic/
The arctic regions are an increasingly relevant area of operation for nation states as climate change continues to shift the overall operating environment in which military and other non-military activities are engaged with. This is highly prevalent to non-military economic activity in the energy and logistics sectors. The arctic region has posed varying challenges, and thus varying responses, from NATO members. The response from the United States, Canada, and Denmark specifically has been in direct contrast to growing Russian influence, both in the arctic regions and their growing influence in Ukraine, Syria, and regions surrounding fellow NATO members.
Denmark is in a unique situation: its security role in the Arctic is directly impacted by climate change due to its geographical location. Its 2018-2023 Defence Agreement and 2011-2020 Strategy for the Arctic clearly lays out Denmark’s priorities for Arctic security. Its successes lie in shipping/maritime security, sovereignty, military, energy, the environment, and regional cooperation.
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Shipping and maritime security: Shipping and cruise ship voyages in the Arctic have increased. Denmark has requested that the International Maritime Organisation establish more binding regulation for Arctic shipping. Denmark has been successful in tracking ships sailing in their waters through GREENPOS, and has spent time mapping the ocean off of southern Greenland. While increased transparency is a goal of the Defence Agreement, Denmark struggles from lack of resources to do so.
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Sovereignty: Denmark has claimed that Greenland’s continental shelf extends to the North Pole. As the international community discusses the environmental and the Arctic, this becomes increasingly important. The Strategy for the Arctic directly states, “The Kingdom has submitted documentation to the CLCS for claims relating to two areas near the Faroe Islands and by 2014 plans to submit documentation on three areas near Greenland, including an area north of Greenland which, among others, covers the North Pole.” Research into the continental shelf is ongoing
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Military: Denmark’s Arctic Command has made the Armed Forces North Atlantic more efficient. Per the strategy, an additional Arctic Response Force is additionally in the works. It will not be a standing force, and will be similar to Canada’s Arctic Response Company Group. This initiative plans to adapt to difficult terrain through the use of sleds and snowmobiles.
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Energy: The Defence Agreement and the Strategy for the Arctic have a direct impact on the use of resources in the Arctic. In particular, the Arctic is rich in oil and gas. Denmark has a strategic incentive to protect the Arctic environment. Greenland and the Faroe Islands will have achieved a 60% and 75% mix of renewable energy by 2020.
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The Environment: The 2011-2020 Strategy for the Arctic incorporates the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Denmark is also working to form a treaty on the impacts of mercury, whose impact on Arctic environments is extensive. The 2011-2020 Strategy for the Arctic has also triggered several Arctic Environment Ministers Meetings, which Denmark and Greenland co-hosted. Data and mapping of the area has taken priority, to ensure that oil drilling and shipping lanes do not harm the area.
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Regional Cooperation: The Strategy has had its greatest impact in increasing regional cooperation towards the security and protection of the Arctic. Denmark seeks to strengthen the Arctic Council by giving it more power to make decision and policy. Additionally, Denmark has supported the idea of adding permanent observers such as the EU and China. The Council has tried in the past to form policy, and Denmark feels that Member State willingness to give up sovereignty to this end is at an all-time high. Further, Denmark will bolster its security relations with the US, Canada, Norway, and Iceland.
Application to the US
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An assessment of the likelihood of each policy innovation working in the United States
Existing Climate and Security Policy in the US
Climate change is a multi-faceted threat to the United States, both domestically and beyond. Given the short timeline to mitigate climate change given by international scientists, effective policies at the federal level are crucial. The above-referenced policies showed that government-led change is possible. Yet, the US is unique in the bureaucratic barriers that successful policy is required to overcome to get passed.
In order to apply lessons from foreign policies, one must first understand the existing security and climate change framework in the United States. Climate change reduces the defense capacity of the US military and poses a significant threat to US security. The US military has thus far struggled to respond in a timely manner to existing challenges. In order to better understand a path forward, we can analyze the efficacy of applying various policies in the context of United States politics.
The United Kingdom- Carbon Budget for Defense
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Many of the different aspects of the MOD Climate Change Delivery Plan could be applied to the United States Department of Defense (DOD). Just as all new MOD projects will need to achieve an “Excellent” rating when assessed by the Defence Related Environmental Assessment Method (DREAM) or Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM), the DOD could incorporate the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards into future projects. All projects could be required to meet at least the “certified” level, with a plan set in place to incrementally increase the certification level (silver, gold, platinum) required.
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The DOD could also increase the use of teleconferencing and improve information communication technologies and reduce the amount of travel necessary to coordinate and conduct operations. Moreover, although there is already an emphasis on improving the effectiveness of military equipment, an increased effort could be focused on lessening the environmental impact of the machinery utilized in operations, similar to what the UK accomplished in through their Hydrodynamic Improvement Programme. Increased efficiency not only lessens the carbon footprint of the DOD’s operations, but also bolsters the ability of the military to project its power by reducing the amount of fuel and supplies required to complete the mission.
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Furthermore, the DOD could partner with the U.S. branch of the Carbon Disclosure Project to not only hold itself accountable for its emissions, but also to conduct business with companies and organizations that are also emphasizing sustainable practices. Doing so would spread the net of sustainable actions and apply pressure on other agencies to follow suit.
Norway- Integrated Risk Management
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All of the integrated risk management systems being implemented in Norway could work in the United States logistically provide that there is no political resistance. The likelihood of each policy innovation working in the united states is dependent on the amount of political resistance that would be experienced. The regultions that Norway has intergrated into its mutpuiclapties could very easily work in the US. An example being “ In 2010, a revised Planning and Building Act was issued under the auspices of the MoE that made it mandatory for municipalities to carry out risk and vulnerability assessments (RVAs) as part of their land-use planning.” Also increased funding into environmental crisis management funds as they have done will help get people back on their feet as soon as possible after a environmental disaster like floods or a hurricane.
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The policy actions that city planners and municipalities can implement can be modeled off Norway’s would work. In Bergen, civil protection is mainstreamed within the city's organisational structure, and the municipal civil protection unit employs only two people full time: emergency planning, risk assessments and exercises are integrated in all relevant municipal bodies, and guided by the civil protection unit". These policy actions are proactive in nature which is more effective and saves more money in the long run. Another example of this “The most important in this respect are the Department of Planning and Environment, which has given considerable attention to mapping landslide hazards, and the Water and Wastewater Department, where the prevention of urban flooding has a high priority”. This is especially important in areas in the south that are poorer that cannot the afford to keep up the costs of increased climate disasters
Denmark- Arctic Security
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While the United States, Canada, and Denmark have aligning interests in the region, their strategic approach differs, although it aligns with key concepts of command and control in the arctic. For example, under the 2011 Unified Campaign Plan, U.S. Northern Command and U.S. European Command, key operating bodies between the three countries, share command and control authorities in the arctic, but for this particular exercise, primacy would likely reside with Northern Command, falling within joint operational status. This is the common theme between NATO and NATO-aligned partners in the region, particularly the Danish Joint Operational Command, overlap between governmental agencies and other key shareholders and do not provide a singular policy between operating partners the region.
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As a result of joint cooperation on key issues, there may be areas of opportunity for funding key priorities that align with both Canadian and Danish shareholders that are also held by the United States. Funding channels, primarily through Congressional deliberation and the National Defense Authorize package for FY 2020. The articulation of what key priorities should be funded through budgetary mechanisms, however, will be determined by which parties are in control of each branches of Congress.
The areas of funding prioritization, and thus, where strategic prioritization will occur will depend on the viability of funding and to the extent relevant geopolitical, economic, and other aligned interests align with this funding mechanism. Common themes of freedom of access, neutrality of drilling rights, and limitation of geopolitical overstep in the arctic region will remain consistent across the scope of Western partners in the region.
Policy and Politics
An assessment of the likelihood that each policy innovation would meet with approval from Republicans and Democrats, detailing why/why not.
The United Kingdom- Carbon Budget for Defense
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The development of a carbon budget for the Department of Defense is plausible. The intersection between defense and environmental spending to improve military resistance to climate change provides a unique opportunity for bipartisanship. The Republican platform tends to support more defense and military spending, while Democrats are more generally more concerned with combating climate change. Implementing a plan similar to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense Climate Change Delivery Plan to address the emissions and efficiency of both DOD installations and operations provides the ability for Republicans to support defense and Democrats to support environmental stewardship while both improving military capabilities and reducing the DOD’s carbon footprint. Both parties support funding national security efforts, as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 passed with an 85% vote in favor in the Senate. If part of this funding were designated for the development and implementation of a DOD carbon budget, the United States could make significant strides in reducing its emission rates while bolstering the ability of the military to adapt to the changing climate.
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Despite its plausibility, the implementation of a DOD carbon budget is not without its challenges. Large military contractors may fight its implementation due to the investments that would be necessary to make existing equipment and operation methods meet the standards of the carbon budget. As these contractors tend to lean towards the Republican end of the spectrum, it is likely that they will lobby their Republican representatives to prevent the implementation of the budget. Moreover, the Democrats have to find a balance in the severity of the restrictions levied in the the carbon budget, not only to meet the support of members of their own party, but the Republican party as well. Some of the democratic members of Congress are seeking stringent standards to ensure drastic improvements in sustainability while others are more moderate. Members of the party will need to find a common ground that not only satisfies all members within the party, but Republicans as well.
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Overall, the incorporation of a carbon budget into the DOD operational plan is highly dependent on the administration and the majority parties in Congress. The rapid shift of the American political system creates a dynamic environment that provides limited windows for policy innovation. A DOD carbon budget has the ability to open a policy window due to its capacity to bridge party lines, and provide funding to causes both Republicans and Democrats will support.
Norway- Integrated Risk Management
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Norway’s Integrated Risk Management system could work in the United States at a logistical level. The easiest way to implement these with the least resistance would be a the local level. Local governments in areas that are on the coast could regulate the building on new construction to certain distance from the coasts to prevent eventual damage from sea level rise. Implementing these nation-wide would meet with much resistance from republicans and democrats that are funded by oil and natural gas.
In recent years we have seen funds that are meant for crisis management been taken and allocated to other non relevant things. Recently the Trump administration has taken nearly 10 million from FEMA’s budget to support ICE. This is the exact opposite approach to how the funding is being treated in countries like Norway. The politicalization of the climate change in America has lead to vulnerable to vital funds. Keeping funds that are allocated to environmental crisis management would meet with the approval with the Democrats and even some Republicans. Republicans represent consitutiates in certain areas in the countries that are exposed to climate change issues and would not want to see funding taken away.
Denmark- Arctic Security
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The prevalence of climate change, its contribution to shift ice masses and northern shipping lanes, along with shifting geopolitical dimensions in the region, has significantly increased bipartisan focus on the arctic region. Following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and continued exploration of arctic drilling for natural resources such as oil and liquified natural gas, the region provides for geopolitical opportunities--and a potential land grab from a strategic rival of the United States.
Both the United States and Russia have key energy interests in the region, posing for potential strain over drilling rights, areas of operation, and shipping authority in the arctic. It has been noted in the past that the United States have fallen behind competitors such as Russia and China in our ability to navigate ice passages in the high North. The ability of NATO partners to get through arctic issue however, has a weighted influence in regards to the potential selling points for policymakers.
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The Arctic is back in fashion for reasons aside from navigation, with opportunities for new energy partnerships, economic investments, and political alliances. All of which are essential to both direct U.S. interests and to those of U.S. partners such as the Canada and other Northern NATO allies. Denmark and her territories are characterized by a climate change, extreme distances, limited population, and a lack of infrastructure. This makes territories such as Greenland, which are largely consumed by arctic ice, the central focus of Danish operational priority. While Denmark’s defense priorities are many, the primary goal of Danish Joint Arctic Command(DJAC) is that the Arctic remains a peaceful, secure, and collaborative space. Overlapping regional priorities, along with varying operational priorities will remain between Denmark, Canada, and the United States.
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Many of the key portions of DJAC operational focus are inherent to the United State’s defense, economic, freedom of access, and maritime priorities in the North Atlantic and arctic circle regions in the North-Western hemisphere. Bipartisan support for essential areas of U.S. operation capacity and other related interests will be consistent, while funding restraints may change the focus of areas of prioritization. The results of strategic threats, as mentioned earlier, along with environmental challenges and potential opportunities, will create opportunities for policy makers to incorporate these areas in Congressional Defense Budget in the 2020 FY.
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The arctic region has remained a critical area, both by Congressional policy makers, and by the previous and current administrations. Both the Obama and Trump administration’s policy and funding requests consist of similar priorities, but are marked by distinct governance differences. The former administration had a more holistic approach to the arctic region, incorporating key environmental, emission, and research based funding priorities. The Trump Administration’s proposals, in contrast, are primarily foreign policy and natural resource based. This contrast between presidential administration illustrates key divides and areas of priority between the two political parties. While both parties agree on the baseline importance of prioritizing the arctic region, the details of funding priority will rely heavily on both areas/regions deemed critical to Congressional policymakers and by the current administration in power.
