What Would a Climate-Focused DoD Budget Look Like?

President-elect Joe Biden has said that he has no plans for major defense budget cuts. At the same time, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Washington, has indicated that he expects progressive members would be prepared to fight for reductions. As a way to thread this needle, some observers have speculated that rather than cuts, there may be a greater emphasis on COVID or climate change impacts within the defense budget.

What would a greater emphasis on climate change in the budget look like?

It’s complicated. There’s no “climate...