The Department of Defense is using Friday’s celebration of Earth Day to push for reduced energy consumption across the military, as well as encourage Congress to fund a raft of programs that would help the agency prepare for and reduce its impact on climate change.
Military departments are being tasked with reviewing their energy requirements in the next 90 days for new and existing military programs, according to a department memo released Thursday, the day before the annual environmental event.
“This initiative is critical to aligning the Department’s capabilities with the National Defense Strategy and ensuring competitive advantage in the current and future warfighting environment,” said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks in a press statement.
The new directive comes following the Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal 2023, which includes $2 billion for climate resilience at military bases and $247 million for improving the energy efficiency of combat systems. It also follows a major United Nations climate report from the beginning of April that offered a stark warning to the world if critical steps to address climate change are not taken.
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