Sharon Burke on Environmental Security and the Energy Transition

Sharon Burke is the Founder and President of Ecospherics, an environmental research and advisory firm based in Washington, D.C. She most recently served as the lead on climate change, energy, and environment for the Biden-Harris Transition Team. She previously served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy at the Department of Defense (DoD), where she oversaw the energy security of U.S. military operations. Before her time at DoD, she worked as a Senior Fellow and Vice President at the Center for a New American Security, where she initiated a program called “Natural Security” to examine the intersection of natural resources and national security. She has also worked at the State Department, Amnesty International, and the New America think tank. Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and a master’s degree in international affairs with a focus on energy policy from Columbia University.