Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin publicly said Wednesday that climate change is a national security issue, saying the Pentagon will begin to comprehensively address the issue in its decision-making.
Austin issued a written statement following a White House press conference with new climate change envoy John Kerry and national climate adviser Gina McCarthy and president Joe Biden signing an executive order on climate change has.
In a conversation with the media of the state dining room, Biden announced that McCarthy will also head the leading office of domestic climate policy in the White House, newly created by his executive order.
“As head of the new office and my national climate adviser, Gina will chair a national climate task force, made up of many members of our cabinet, to provide a government approach to the climate crisis,” Biden noted.