Major power. Great responsibility.
The United States government has enormous influence over the reduction of global catastrophic risk.
Shaping policy in the US Congress and Executive Branch helps position the US, and the world, for a potential catastrophe of any type. US policy is already pioneering for some policy issues related to global catastrophic risk, such as in its risk assessment and in the use of an all-hazards approach to disaster risk management.
We believe that the US government can do more on global catastrophic risk, which will also pave the way for other countries and allies of the US to manage global catastrophic risk better.
The Defense Production Act (DPA, 50 U.S.C. §4501 et seq.) provides the President with a broad set of authorities to influence private industry in the interest of national defense, which can be used to protect against and respond to potential global catastrophes.
The DPA is a prime example of an important “all-hazards” policy tool for global catastrophic risk reduction. For example, the DPA enabled Operation Warp Speed to rapidly and massively ramp up vaccine production and distribution at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the DPA automatically expires on Sept. 30, 2025. Global Shield is leading a major advocacy campaign that will continue until the DPA is reauthorized and, ideally, modernized.
We are also focused on ensuring that the DPA is supported with the necessary oversight and governance so that its use during a catastrophe is effective and efficient. We want to enhance the cooperation between the government and the private sector to plan in advance for potential needs during a global catastrophe.
On 29 July 2025, Global Shield and seven other groups sent letters to key members of Congress urging them to reauthorize and modernize the Defence Production Act.
In 2022, prior to the creation of Global Shield, our co-founder, Jared Brown, led the advocacy effort for the legislation that became the Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act (GCRMA, 6 U.S.C. §821 to §825). The GCRMA is the world’s first national law related to global catastrophic risk, calling on the US government to assess and prepare for risks from, for example, “severe global pandemics, nuclear war, asteroid and comet impacts, supervolcanoes, sudden and severe changes to the climate, and intentional or accidental threats arising from the use and development of emerging technologies.” Since its passage, Global Shield has been leading civil-society engagement with the US government to implement the Act, including working with Congress to maintain oversight of the effort, so that the most policy benefit can be gained from this formative law.
In October 2024, the RAND Corporation released their Global Catastrophic Risk Assessment. This research was sponsored by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate in support of the GCRMA. The report by DHS has not yet been released.
American agriculture faces mounting threats from both natural and man-made hazards, placing the nation’s food supply and rural economies at increasing risk. Severe weather events—such as droughts, floods, and extreme heat—are growing in frequency and intensity, while invasive species and crop-destroying diseases continue to spread across key growing regions. Simultaneously, the emergence of bioengineered pathogens and the potential for agricultural bioterrorism raise concerns about deliberate disruptions to the food supply chain.
Global Shield is working with Congress to improve the capability of the US to protect the food and agricultural system from any chemical, biological, cybersecurity, or other global catastrophic threats to our food supply.
