On September 21, 2016, President Obama took another major step to address the threat of climate change by signing a Presidential Memorandum requiring the federal government to fully consider the impacts of climate change in the development and implementation of all national security policies and plans. 

First, the memorandum directs 20 agencies from across the federal government to establish a dedicated working group to identify the U.S. national security priorities related to climate change. 

Second, it instructs these agencies to develop a Climate Change and National Security Action Plan outlining how they will develop and share information on these risks. 

Third, it directs each agency to develop strategies to address climate-related threats—from impacts on the U.S. economy and food security to the flow of migrants and refugees. 

The system this memorandum puts into place will ensure that data and insights from climate science become meaningful components of national security policymaking.

For more information about the Presidential Memorandum, read the White House release.