Center For Naval Analyses - Military Advisory Board

Military Advisory Board

In 2006 CNA convened a Military Advisory Board (MAB) of retired three- and four-star flag and general officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to assess the impact of global climate change on key matters of national security and lay the groundwork for mounting responses to the threats found.

In April 2007 CNA released the MAB's report, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, that articulates the concept of climate change acting as a "threat multiplier" for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world and identifies key challenges that must be planned for now if they are to be met effectively in the future.

In May 2009 CNA’s MAB released its second report, Powering America’s Defense: Energy and the Risks to National Security. This report (which builds on the first report’s finding that "climate change, national security, and energy dependence are a related set of global challenges”) explores the impact of America's energy choices on our national security policies, and considers: the security risks inherent in our current energy posture; the energy choices America can make to enhance national security; and the role the Department of Defense can play in the nation’s approach to energy security and climate change.

The MAB’s third report, Powering America’s Economy: Energy Innovation at the Crossroads of National Security Challenges, released in July 2010, explores the growing challenges presented by the links that tie America’s energy posture to its economy and national security. It looks at the potential opportunities that could result from the transition to a clean energy technology-based economy and the key role that the Department of Defense (DOD) can play to support innovation and commercialization of clean, low-carbon energy, thereby directly contributing to America’s future economic competitiveness and bolstering national security.