The U.S. Army announced its climate strategy on Tuesday, which aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by 2050.
Outlined in a document titled “Climate Strategy”, the Army plans to increase fuel efficiency through the establishment of an electric vehicle fleet, as well as modernizing the military’s power usage and supply chain resilience.
US Army goes green, announcing new climate strategyhttps://t.co/v5CB1WYja8
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“There are 950 renewable energy projects supplying 480 megawatts of power to the Army today … scoped and planned through 2024,” stated in the document. “The Army will continue these and other efforts under the Army Installation Energy and Water Strategic Plan to maximize resilience, efficiency and affordability on every installation.”
The strategy was created in response to a recent executive order from President Biden calling on agencies to tackle climate change.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin immediately made climate change a priority after studying its effects within the Army.
“Climate change threatens America’s security and is altering the geostrategic landscape as we know it,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in the strategy. “For today’s soldiers operating in extreme temperature environments, fighting wildfires and supporting hurricane recovery, climate change isn’t a distant future, it is a reality.”
“The Army must adapt across our entire enterprise and purposefully pursue greenhouse gas mitigation strategies to reduce climate risks,” added Wormuth. “If we do not take action now, across our installations, acquisition and logistics and training, our options to mitigate these risks will become more constrained with each passing year.”
According to a Defense Department report, the Army has been impacted by extreme weather conditions at army bases for years. In 2019, for example, a flood caused about $500 million in damages and repairs at the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
The “Climate Strategy” offers solutions that will make army bases more prepared for any climate-related threats.
Wormouth hopes that the Army will lead an example to other agencies in the U.S. as it tackles the effects of climate change.
“The time to address climate change is now. The effects of climate change have taken a toll on supply chains, damaged our infrastructure, and increased risks to Army Soldiers and their families due to natural disasters and extreme weather,” Wormuth said.
