Climate Adaptation Plans of Major US Federal Agencies Revealed

Around the world, pressures to slash emissions are growing as nations participate in the COP26 from 31 October to 12 November 2021.

The United States, the second-largest GHG emitter after China, has announced that more than 20 of its major federal agencies have released climate adaptation plans that outline the steps each agency will take to adapt and build resilience from their facilities and operations to climate change. 

According to President Biden’s executive order, these climate adaptation plans aim to address climate change through a whole-of-government approach.

The idea behind the climate adaptation plans from the US federal agencies, including the US Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Energy, is to “embed adaptation and resilience planning and implementation throughout their operations and programs and will continually update their adaptation plans.”

The focus of these adaptation plans includes:

(1) Safeguarding Federal investments. For example, the Department of Transportation will incorporate resilience criteria into its discretionary grant and loan programs, and the Department of Justice will incorporate resilience into the design and construction of its new buildings.

(2) Identifying leadership and accountability. For the first time, adaptation, resilience, leadership, and responsibility have been added to various federal agencies’ senior leadership roles. The top leadership will lead climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience.

(3) Developing a more resilient supply chain. Agencies are revamping supply chain policies and operations to create a more resilient system.

(4) Enhancing protections for workers and communities. Agencies recognise that people are their greatest asset and take steps to support their workers in avoiding climate change impacts.

(5) Building a more equitable future. Climate change will raise the risk for those with health conditions and vulnerable populations and widen socioeconomic inequities. The agencies have outlined actions to ensure the design and implementation of projects will meet the environmental justice objectives. For example, the heat, poor air quality, vector-borne diseases, and other hazards do not impact vulnerable members.

The climate adaptation plans from various federal agencies will complement the growing demands to cut greenhouse gas emissions at all levels of government to respond to the climate crisis.

The New York City Council has voted to adopt a climate adaptation plan that will be updated every ten years. The city faced its first-ever flash flood event during Hurricane Ida, which killed at least 13 residents (Rachal, 2021).

Climate change has been made a priority under President Biden’s administration. The 23 climate adaptation plans from various agencies offer a candid description of how climate change affects the federal government’s work and the threat the country will face as climate change worsens.

For example, the Department of Transportation has identified potential climate change impacts such as heat-induced rail buckling and expansions, degradation of paved surfaces, more frequent and severe underground tunnels, and low-lying infrastructure flooding.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan says that it wants to work with local governments to advance resilience and environmental justice efforts, modernise its financial assistance programs “to encourage climate-resilient investments across the nation,” and prioritise the most vulnerable population.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) plans to gather building-level data to map out climate risks and environmental justice, focusing its strategies on underserved communities. The agency also says that it will strengthen floodplain management regulations.

To see the climate adaptation plans of the 23 US Federal agencies, click the link below: