New security strategy drops climate from threat list

The White House will unveil a new national security strategy that, according to multiple reports, will break with the Obama administration by declining to recognize climate change as a threat to national security interests.

Why it matters: The report is the latest sign of how the Trump administration, in addition to unwinding domestic global warming rules, has made a sharp rhetorical break with its predecessor when it comes to the geo-politics of climate change.

Buzz: The New York Times points out that climate will surface in the report in a section on embracing U.S. "energy dominance." The Federalist reported Friday that the strategy will note that "[c]limate policies will continue to shape the global energy system" but will also state:

• "U.S. leadership is indispensable to countering an anti-growth, energy agenda that is detrimental to U.S. economic and energy security interests. Given future global energy demand, much of the developing world will require fossil fuels, as well as other forms of energy, to power their economies and lift their people out of poverty."

It also underscores the mixed messages from the administration on how to assess climate change. In written congressional testimony during his confirmation hearing, Defense Secretary James Mattis described risks to U.S. security interests and assets. ProPublica has more on that here.