The White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Management and Budget, are working to better integrate climate risk across their mission, operations and asset management.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a recent news release that is has joined with more than 20 federal agencies to release an updated Climate Adaptation Plan to enhance federal operations’ resilience to climate change impacts. These updated plans advance the National Climate Resilience Framework, which aligns climate resilience investments across the public and private sectors to build a climate-resilient nation.
Communities across the country face climate change impacts, from droughts affecting crop yields to floods and wildfires destroying homes and infrastructure. The USDA is adopting a mission-wide approach to climate adaptation, focusing on agricultural production, natural resource management, rural development, food security and science and innovation. For instance, the USDA’s Forest Service aims to reduce wildfire risks through the Wildfire Crisis Strategy and support recovery with climate-informed actions in its Reforestation Strategy.
“USDA has taken a department-wide approach to considering the impacts of climate change on our mission delivery and those we serve,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in the release. “From USDA headquarters to field offices nationwide, these efforts enable USDA to support the agriculture and forestry sectors and diverse communities across the country as they confront the impacts of climate change.”
“As communities face extreme heat, natural disasters, and severe weather from climate change, President Biden is delivering record resources to build climate resilience across the country,” said Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Through his Investing in America agenda and an all-of-government approach to tackling the climate crisis, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering more than $50 billion to help communities increase their resilience and bolster protections for those who need it most. By updating our own adaptation strategies, the federal government is leading by example to build a more resilient future for all.”
President Biden directed federal agencies to lead efforts to address climate change through Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Last year, the nation experienced a record 28 individual billion-dollar extreme weather and climate disasters, causing over $90 billion in damage. USDA continues to be a leader in adaptation and resilience.
USDA released its initial Climate Adaptation Plan in 2021 and progress reports in 2022. The updated plans for 2024 to 2027, in coordination with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Management and Budget, better integrate climate risk across their mission, operations, and asset management, including:
- Assessing exposure of assets to climate-related hazards using historical data and projections.
- Managing climate risk to facilities, supply chains, federal employees and federal lands and waters.
- Integrating adaptation into agency policies, programs, planning, budget formulation, and external funding.
- Linking climate adaptation actions with other Biden-Harris Administration priorities, including advancing environmental justice, engaging with Tribal Nations, supporting the America the Beautiful initiative, scaling up nature-based solutions, and addressing climate change causes through mitigation.
- Adopting common progress indicators to assess agency climate adaptation efforts.
All plans from each of the 20+ agencies are available at www.sustainability.gov/adaptation. For more information on USDA climate adaptation efforts, visit www.usda.gov/oce/energy-and-environment/climate/adaptation.
