Navy Sinks Biden-Era Climate Plans to Prioritize Combat Readiness

The Navy has officially dropped its Biden-era zero-emissions goal, shifting its focus away from climate change mandates and back toward combat effectiveness. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan pulled the plug on the Navy Climate Action 2030 Plan, declaring in a video message that the service needs to be "lethal and ready," not bogged down by what he called ideologically driven regulations.

The now-defunct plan had called for the Navy to use 100% emissions-free vehicles by 2035 and switch entirely to carbon-free electricity by 2030, aiming for a 65% cut in greenhouse gas emissions. That's a pretty hefty ask for an organization whose job description includes driving giant ships through oceans and launching fighter jets.

Supporters of the old plan, like former Assistant Secretary Meredith Berger, pointed out that naval bases are already feeling the heat—literally. Rising sea levels and more severe storms threaten installations all along the coasts. Berger had argued for bold action by 2030, echoing scientific warnings that this decade is critical for climate decisions.

But the climate agenda never quite found smooth sailing. During the previous administration, then-Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro produced a 32-page report calling climate change "one of the most destabilizing forces of our time," warning about destructive storms, sweltering "black flag" training days, and strain on the power grid. The Obama-era "Great Green Fleet" initiative for renewable warships was also sunk in 2017 under the Trump administration—apparently, the Navy's favorite new color is back to basic gray.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Phelan's move a digital high-five, posting "Well done" on X. Just this February, Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to hunt down 8% of their budget in "low-impact and low-priority" Biden-era programs for the chopping block—climate initiatives and what officials called "woke programs" are now squarely in the crosshairs.

As the tides change yet again, the Navy's mission is clear: full steam ahead on combat readiness, with climate goals left floating in the wake.