President Joe Biden signs one of the 17 Executive Orders he signed on Inauguration Day Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Executive Orders Create National Priorities on Climate and Energy 

By Kristen Fletcher, Faculty Associate-Research, Energy Academic Group

Between January 20 and February 4, President Biden issued three Executive Orders (EOs) which prioritize climate at the center of U.S. foreign policy and national security and instruct executive agencies regarding energy and climate actions. The Executive Orders are:

• Executive Order 13900 (January 20, 2021): Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis
• Executive Order 14008 (January 27, 2021): Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
• Executive Order 14013 (February 4, 2021): Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration

EO 13900 calls for conservation of 30% of federal land and oceans by 2030; institutes a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on public lands and waters; and coincides with the United States reentering the Paris Climate Accord.

EO 14008 calls for the creation of a National Climate Task Force, which is chaired by National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and includes senior White House officials and Cabinet-level leaders from 21 federal agencies including the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Defense, and Energy. The Task Force will facilitate the organization and deployment of a government-wide approach to combat the climate crisis, including leveraging federal procurement to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035 and replace government vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. EO 14008 reboots the Presidential Memorandum on Climate Change and National Security of September 21, 2016, and calls for an analysis of the security implications of climate change to be incorporated into defense planning along with deployment of clean energy technologies and infrastructure.

Secretary of Defense Austin issued a statement noting that the Pentagon will begin incorporating climate analysis into its war-gaming and analysis efforts as well as featuring the issue as part of its future National Defense Strategy. DoD will analyze its own carbon footprint and spur the “development of climate-friendly technologies at scale.” Secretary Austin concluded the statement with “There is little about what the Department does to defend the American people that is not affected by climate change. It is a national security issue, and we must treat it as such.”