{"id":15396,"date":"2023-02-07T10:25:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T15:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.law.columbia.edu\/climatechange\/?p=15396"},"modified":"2023-02-22T16:31:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T21:31:04","slug":"comments-on-the-draft-fifth-national-climate-assessment-sabin-center-urges-deeper-discussion-of-climate-resilience-planning-barriers-to-climate-action-by-local-governments-and-other-key-topics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.law.columbia.edu\/climatechange\/2023\/02\/07\/comments-on-the-draft-fifth-national-climate-assessment-sabin-center-urges-deeper-discussion-of-climate-resilience-planning-barriers-to-climate-action-by-local-governments-and-other-key-topics\/","title":{"rendered":"Comments on the Draft Fifth National Climate Assessment: Sabin Center Urges Deeper Discussion of Climate Resilience Planning, Barriers to Climate Action by Local Governments, and Other Key Topics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On January 27, 2023, the Sabin Center submitted comments on the \"\"<\/a>draft Fifth National Climate Assessment<\/a> (NCA5). Those comments, which are available here<\/a>, highlighted key gaps in NCA5 and suggested additions and changes to address those gaps. This blog post describes the purpose and scope of the National Climate Assessment and the key takeaways and focus areas of the Sabin Center\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n

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Scope and Purpose of the National Climate Assessment<\/span><\/h3>\n

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The Global Climate Change Research Act of 1990 established the U.S. Global Change Research Program (the \u201cProgram\u201d) for the purpose of \u201cdeveloping and coordinating a comprehensive and integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.\u201d See<\/em> Public Law 101-606 (11\/16\/90) 104 Stat. 3096-3104, \u00a7 101(b). Thirteen federal entities participate in the Program. Participating entities include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution, among others.<\/p>\n

The Global Change Research Act requires the Program to prepare and submit to the President and Congress a National Climate Assessment at least once every four years that:<\/p>\n

\u201c1. Integrates, evaluates, and interprets the findings of the Program and discusses the scientific uncertainties associated with such findings<\/p>\n

\u201c2. Analyzes the effects of global change on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, human health and welfare, human social systems, and biological diversity<\/p>\n

\u201c3. Analyzes current trends in global change, both human- induced and natural, and projects major trends for the subsequent 25 to 100 years.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Id. <\/em>\u00a7\u00a0106. According to the White House<\/a>, the National Climate Assessment is a critical resource for \u201c[p]eople who make risk management decisions,\u201d a large group that includes \u201clocal government officials, city planners, utility managers, healthcare providers, adaptation specialists, educators, farmers, and small business owners.\u201d While the Assessment \u201cdo[es] not prescribe or recommend specific policy interventions,\u201d it can and does \u201cinform actions [and] policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fourth National Climate Assessment<\/a> was published in November 2018. NCA5 is currently in development and is expected to be finalized later this year.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways and Focus Areas of the Sabin Center\u2019s Comments on the Draft NCA5<\/span><\/h3>\n

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The Sabin Center submitted 10 sets of comments on the draft NCA5. Those comments focused on the five topics described below and included the following highlights:<\/p>\n