DHS Climate Change Initiative Realized in New Recruitment Program
In support of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) focus on adapting to climate change, the department has launched a Climate Change Professionals Program. In 2021, Secretary Mayorkas established the Climate Change Action Group—home to the new initiative—as a means of addressing climate change urgently.
DHS's Chief Readiness Support Officer will run the two-year program and provide participants with hands-on opportunities to contribute to upcoming initiatives that aim to transform DHS's ability to adapt and improve resilience to climate change. If participants successfully complete the program, they will receive the Association of Climate Change Officers certification to qualify for permanent, full-time positions with DHS.
“The Climate Change Professionals Program will be instrumental in helping the Department adapt to our changing climate by providing hands-on experience and guidance to young professionals interested in climate adaptation and resilience,” stated Secretary Mayorkas in a press release, “This program will develop the next generation of climate experts, improve climate literacy throughout the Department, and help us execute our Climate Action Plan to remain mission-resilient while reducing our own impacts on the environment.”
President George W. Bush established the department in response to rising terror threats; however, its mission has expanded to all domestic threats, including environmental disasters. The Climate Change Action Group, comprised of senior department officials, will oversee the program. The action group's priorities include reducing climate change-related risks such as flooding, heat waves, droughts, and wildfires; and adapting DHS assets, operations, and resources.
By 2050, according to a World Bank report, approximately 216 million people could face displacement owing to rising sea levels, water shortages, and decreased crop productivity. In the same report, climate migration "hotspots" could emerge by 2030, contributing to serious suffering in areas already suffering from intense poverty.
On January 23, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order instructing agencies to prepare for the constantly evolving effects of climate change, ranging from weather-related risks to vulnerabilities for federal employees and their ability to do their jobs. In response to the executive order, DHS published their comprehensive climate change plan in September 2021. The plan focused on integrating climate literacy into policy, planning, management, and budgeting processes throughout DHS. It also called upon agency leaders to utilize a risk-management framework to ensure facilities and operation mission essential assets are resilient to changing climate conditions and prepared for climate crises.