NEWPORT, RI – The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted the first iteration of “Forum at Newport,” a presentation series on global issues co-sponsored by Salve Regina University, onboard Naval Station Newport, April 5.
The inaugural event featured a presentation on the implications of climate change on national security, delivered by Lt. Gen. Richard Nugee, British Army, retired.
Nugee, the non-executive director for climate change for the UK Ministry of Defence, gave reasons the U.S. Department of Defense should care about climate change. “The geopolitical world is changing, the physical world is changing, and there is the issue of scarce resources,” Nugee stated while explaining how the military can deal with emerging threats caused by climate change. “This isn’t an either/or involving operational advantage and military capability or being green. This is both.”
The event garnered more than 800 attendees online and in-person, including Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who both also delivered remarks on the topic.
“Climate change is one of the most destabilizing forces of our time, exacerbating national security concerns and posing serious readiness challenges to our naval and amphibious forces,” Del Toro said. “Our world’s changing climate impacts everything we do across the Dept of the Navy ranging from policy and investment decisions to our very operations.”
Del Toro commented that climate change affects everything from the Navy taking care of its people to shaping partnerships at home and abroad. He cited the Navy’s Climate Action 2030 strategy as a meaningful framework for addressing these challenges.
In its focus on climate change, this year’s Forum at Newport supports the Department of the Navy’s (DON) efforts to build on a long-standing foundation of climate action. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the speed of international threats encountered by defense organizations, like the U.S. Navy, requiring them to adapt quickly to mitigate risks, establish new operational mandates, and promote regional stability.
NWC and the Pell Center at Salve Regina plan to continue the “Forum at Newport” series, bringing together prominent thinkers, policymakers, and leaders for critical dialogue on global issues like climate change. The two institutions will co-sponsor distinct forums on a given topic, alternating between venues each year.
“This event is just one of the ways in which our two institutions cooperate and collaborate to contribute to the educational development of our military members and our citizens at large,” said Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of NWC.
Kelly J. Armstrong, Ph.D., president of Salve Regina, agreed, highlighting Salve Regina’s ongoing 75th anniversary celebration and the long history of partnership and collaboration between the two institutions over those 75 years. “Tonight, we see a new flowering of that historic partnership in the creation of the Forum at Newport,” she stated.
A follow-on forum on climate change is scheduled for summer 2024 on the Salve Regina campus with planned discussions on international relationships and the roles civil society and narrative storytelling should play in managing the issue.
NWC delivers excellence in education, research, and outreach, informing today’s decision-makers and educating tomorrow’s leaders. The college provides educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop students’ ability to anticipate and prepare strategically for the future, strengthen the foundations of peace, and create a decisive warfighting advantage.