Agencies Must Prepare for Climate Change Adaptation, Says White House Council

Agencies Must Prepare for Climate Change Adaptation, Says White House Council

A report authored by a task force from over 20 federal agencies and several White House offices concludes federal agencies must consider unavoidable side effects of climate change in their decision-making. The report was in response to an executive order from President Obama and was led by the office of Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality along with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The report, released October 14, outlines recommendations for preparation including: making adaptation a standard part of Agency planning, ensuring scientific information about the impacts of climate change is easily accessible, aligning Federal efforts to respond to climate impacts that cut across jurisdictions and missions, developing a strategy to support international adaptation and developing countries, and support local, state, and tribal decision-makers in places and infrastructure most likely to be affected. The task force will establish a partnership committee composed of local, state, and Tribal representatives by Spring 2011.

"This should mean that federal agencies cannot assume that protecting the status quo means protecting the environment," noted Karl Gawell, GEA's Executive Director. "This is particularly pertinent to renewable energy decisions where taking the no action alternative can mean blocking clean energy production which is a significant part of the answer to reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

See http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/10/15/3/, http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21243