Chairman Applauds Release of Adaptation Report

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Progress Report of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force was released. The reportoffers recommendations for how several federal agencies and programs can better prepare the United States to respond to the impacts of climate change.

 

"The idea of adaptation was once controversial but as the effects of climate change have become clearer, many realize the need to prepare for climate change now, while working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.  Some worry that exploring options beyond mitigation such as adaptation or climate engineering would decrease our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I believe we need a diverse set of tools in our toolbox to effectively and efficiently respond and adapt to our changing climate,”said House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN).  "We have to face the facts that emissions may not decrease fast enough to avoid the impacts. I'm glad we have multiple agencies engaged in finding solutions to adapt to the growing threat of climate change. At every level of government we must integrate good science into all adaptation decisions and policies.”

“This is yet another report showing that climate change is real and we have to acknowledge the severity of its impacts,” said Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA).  “It is vital that adaptation be standard for federal agencies in addressing climate change.  It is my hope that this report and its recommendations will help prepare us to better understand and respond to climate change.”

 

Adapting to climate change to both minimize negative effects and take advantage of new opportunities, will require the participation of all segments of society, including communities, industry, and local, state and federal governments. In the report the Task Force identifies a set of guiding principles that public and private decision-makers should consider in designing and implementing adaptation strategies.

 

The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force is co-chaired by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 

For more information, please visit the Committee’s website.

 

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