Knowledge Tree
Kate Guy
Facts (64)
Sources
Climate Shocks Are Redefining Energy Security energypolicy.columbia.edu Jul 15, 2025 64 facts
claimKate Guy asserts that budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service, and NASA threaten the continuity of data sets required for accurate weather prediction, which is essential for climate adaptation and resilience.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that societies and local areas will fare better if they build resilience into their systems now, specifically preparing for climate shocks expected 10, 15, or 20 years in the future rather than relying on historical resilience standards.
accountKate Guy serves as a senior fellow and managing director of the Geopolitics of Climate Change and the Energy Transition at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.
accountBefore joining the Biden administration, Kate Guy chaired the national security, military, and intelligence panel on climate change at the Center for Climate and Security.
claimKate Guy states that climate trend lines indicate a future with more intense, frequent, earlier, and severe weather impacts, characterizing this as a rapid march into a shock-prone future.
perspectiveKate Guy asserts that energy security is currently a top priority for governments globally, arguably more so than at any time in recent memory.
perspectiveKate Guy asserts that energy security is currently a higher priority for governments globally than at any time in recent memory.
claimKate Guy advocates for establishing an environment that rewards energy suppliers for building resilience into their systems, supported by the public sector providing necessary data and federal risk assessments.
claimKate Guy suggests that energy suppliers should be incentivized to build resilience into their systems, and that energy consumers, particularly businesses, must take action on the demand side to adapt to changing climate conditions.
claimKate Guy asserts that losing years of weather data permanently diminishes the accuracy of future weather predictions, which is particularly critical as climate patterns change annually.
procedureTo prepare for a shock-prone future, Kate Guy recommends that businesses conduct and regularly update risk assessments based on new data regarding local community changes, and that the public sector should support this by providing federal data and risk assessments to energy suppliers.
accountKate Guy previously directed the United States State Department’s diplomatic efforts at the intersection of climate change, national security, and foreign policy for the Biden administration, serving as a senior advisor to John Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that energy security and climate security are inseparable and that presenting them as a choice between reliability of energy supply and emissions reductions is a false dichotomy, as they are currently in a negative spiral.
claimKate Guy observes that the United States faces a significant challenge in sustaining long-term investment for upgrading aging energy infrastructure, such as power grids and transmission lines, to meet rising demand and adapt to new climate realities amidst potential economic strain and public spending constraints.
perspectiveErica Downs, Dave Turk, Kate Guy, Gautam Jain, Luisa Palacios, David Sandalow, Vivek Shastry, and Jack Andreasen Cavanaugh argue that a lack of transatlantic alignment risks the forfeiture of advantages the alliance was built to protect.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that Earth systems science is essential for maintaining a strategic advantage against competitors in both the private sector and the military, rather than being solely an environmental concern.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that the United States has historically failed to provide sufficient attention, time, prioritization, and funding for climate adaptation and resilience, regardless of the specific presidential administration in power.
claimKate Guy suggests that the public sector should support energy resilience by providing data and risk assessments to energy suppliers.
claimKate Guy identifies the Arctic and US-China relations as critical 'hotspot regions' for energy security and international resilience.
perspectiveKate Guy posits that the intersection of climate change, national security, and foreign policy will define the nature of politics and international relations for the remainder of the 21st century.
claimKate Guy asserts that international competitors of the United States are actively employing scientists to understand and adapt to changes in the oceans, atmosphere, and land.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that while the current US administration prioritizes energy supply and dominance, the resilience of existing energy supply systems is often neglected in these policy conversations.
claimKate Guy asserts that international competitors of the United States are actively employing scientists to understand and adapt to environmental changes occurring in the oceans, the atmosphere, and on land.
claimKate Guy, a researcher at the Center on Global Energy Policy, focuses her work on the intersection of climate change, national security, and foreign policy.
claimKate Guy asserts that increased energy demand caused by severe heat creates a feedback loop that negatively impacts energy security.
perspectiveKate Guy acknowledges that the Biden administration made progress on climate resilience investments, but argues that the Trump administration and Congress must continue and expand upon these efforts.
claimKate Guy observes that while the current United States administration prioritizes energy supply and dominance, the resilience of existing energy supply is often not prioritized, despite being critical during crisis moments.
claimKate Guy identifies the potential withdrawal of the United States from the study of Earth systems science trajectories as a critical strategic vulnerability.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that Earth systems science provides a strategic advantage for both the private sector and the military, rather than being solely an environmental concern.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that energy security and climate security are often falsely presented as a trade-off, but are actually in a negative spiral where they are inseparable.
accountBefore joining the Biden administration, Kate Guy chaired the national security, military, and intelligence panel on climate change at the Center for Climate and Security.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that businesses and individuals should prioritize planning for future climate trajectories and long-term climate predictions rather than focusing solely on debating whether specific past extreme events were caused by climate change.
perspectiveKate Guy, a researcher at the Center on Global Energy Policy, asserts that climate change acts as a significant shock to the global system, creating downstream impacts on national security, societal stability, and the international order.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that even if the U.S. military avoids using the term 'climate change,' it remains necessary to address the impacts of weather and environmental changes on the battlefield, troop resilience, and global defense systems.
claimKate Guy argues that planning for energy infrastructure resilience must occur years before extreme weather events, rather than during the moment of a storm or severe heat wave.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that in the context of climate change impacts, there are no winners, only losers and worse losers, and that the societies that fare better are those actively building resilience into their systems.
claimKate Guy observes that extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, are currently impacting diverse regions globally, including the Eastern United States, the United Kingdom, and Eastern China.
claimKate Guy observes that United States government administrations often prioritize 'energy dominance' and supply expansion over the resilience of existing energy infrastructure.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that climate change poses significant risks to the stability of societies, democracies, and the international order, necessitating a focus on the downstream impacts of climate shocks on national security.
claimKate Guy identifies the Arctic and US-China relations as hotspot regions for energy security and international resilience.
claimKate Guy, a senior fellow and managing director of the Geopolitics of Climate Change and the Energy Transition at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, states that climate change creates a loop effect where increased energy demand from severe heat negatively impacts energy security.
perspectiveKate Guy asserts that climate change acts as a significant shock to the stable foundation of the world, which will have major downstream impacts on national security and the systems that protect society.
claimKate Guy posits that current extreme weather events are not merely a 'new normal' but represent the best conditions that will be experienced in the future, as climate trend lines indicate that impacts will become more frequent, intense, and severe as emissions and temperatures rise.
claimKate Guy questions whether funding for energy infrastructure resilience can be sustained across different political administrations, especially during periods of economic strain and public spending belt-tightening.
claimKate Guy serves as a senior fellow and managing director of the geopolitics of climate change and the energy transition at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA.
claimKate Guy states that scientists are concerned that budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, and NASA will degrade the quality of data sets used for accurate weather prediction, noting that lost data cannot be recovered.
claimKate Guy suggests that businesses should conduct and regularly update risk assessments based on new data regarding how local communities are changing due to climate impacts.
perspectiveKate Guy, a researcher at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), asserts that current international institutions for diplomacy and negotiation are failing to meet the moment regarding critical global challenges.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that the United States has historically prioritized emissions reduction over adaptation and resilience, and that the country now requires significant investment in tools and strategies to build resilience against climate shocks.
claimKate Guy observes that extreme weather events, such as heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires, are occurring throughout the year and are increasing in frequency and intensity.
claimKate Guy states that climate trend lines indicate a future characterized by more intense, frequent, and severe weather impacts as global emissions and temperatures rise.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that the nexus of climate change, national security, and foreign policy will define the nature of politics and international relations for the remainder of the 21st century.
claimKate Guy states that the United States faces a critical strategic vulnerability if it reduces its investment in understanding the trajectories of Earth systems science.
perspectiveKate Guy asserts that United States climate policy must expand beyond the focus on lowering emissions to include the rapid development of tools and investments for building resilience against climate shocks.
claimKate Guy observes that extreme weather events, including heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires, are occurring with increasing frequency and severity throughout the year, rather than being limited to specific seasons.
claimKate Guy asserts that planning for energy infrastructure resilience must occur years before extreme weather events, such as severe heat waves or storms, rather than during the crisis itself.
claimKate Guy notes that the United States military combatant commands have only begun to seriously plan for a future impacted by climate change within the last few years.
claimKate Guy asserts that the United States needs significant investment to upgrade aging energy grids, suppliers, and transmission lines to meet rising energy demand and adapt to the new reality of climate-related challenges.
accountBill Loveless and Kate Guy discussed how extreme summer weather events are redefining energy security on the Columbia Energy Exchange Podcast.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that societies and local areas will fare better if they build resilience into their systems to withstand future climate shocks expected 10 to 20 years from now, rather than relying on outdated definitions of resilience.
claimKate Guy observes that over the past few decades, regardless of whether the U.S. administration was Republican or Democratic, the U.S. military and intelligence community increasingly viewed climate change as a central component of their work.
perspectiveKate Guy argues that the United States has historically prioritized emissions reduction over adaptation and resilience, and that the country must urgently invest in tools and strategies to build resilience against climate shocks at the local, state, and county levels.
claimA severe heat wave struck the eastern half of North America in the weeks preceding the interview between Kate Guy and Bill Loveless.
accountKate Guy previously directed the United States State Department’s diplomatic efforts at the intersection of climate change, national security, and foreign policy for the Biden administration, serving as a senior advisor to John Kerry.