Federal Partner Collaboration
EPA works with federal, state, tribal, local, and international partners to respond to a changing climate.
Federal Agency Activities
Federal agencies have taken important steps to lead the nation in preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change. These activities are guided by:
- The president's Climate Action Plan, which calls for the United States to cut carbon pollution, prepare for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to combat climate change and prepare for its impacts.
- Executive Order: Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change (November 1, 2013), which requires federal agencies to develop policies, modernization efforts, land and water management strategies, and data and tools on preparedness and resilience. It calls for agencies to develop plans to integrate climate change into their missions and operations. The Executive Order established:
- The Interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, replacing the previous Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
- The State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience
- The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Climate Change Resilience website, which provides information on how CEQ is coordinating federal environmental efforts to enact the President’s Climate Action Plan and support local and federal climate adaptation efforts.
Interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience
The Interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience comprises representatives from across the federal government and works to integrate climate resiliency into federal programs and support state, local, and tribal climate action.
The Council addresses key cross-cutting issues related to climate change preparedness and resilience, including the following national strategies developed by the previous Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force:
- The National Action Plan (PDF)(76 pp, 28.52 MB, About PDF) explains how a changing climate challenges the nation’s freshwater resources and describes actions that federal agencies will take to ensure adequate water supplies and to protect water quality and public health.
- The National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan describes actions that federal agencies will take to address key ocean challenges, including steps to improve resilience and prepare communities for climate impacts.
- The National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (PDF)(120 pp, 4 MB, About PDF) addresses climate change impacts on the nation’s natural resources and the people and economies that depend on these resources.
States, Local Government, and Tribal Initiatives
Governments at the state, local, and tribal levels are taking important steps to prepare now for the impacts of climate change:
- The State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience provides guidance on how the federal government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with climate change impacts.
- The Climate Action Champions competition identifies local leaders who are taking ambitious steps to address climate change and provides these communities with targeted federal support to help further their initiatives.
- Making a Visible Difference in Communities supports environmentally overburdened, underserved, and economically distressed areas to pursue community-based environmental improvements that enhance economic opportunity, improve quality of life, and build long-term sustainability.
- The Tribal Environmental General Assistance Program provides support in planning, developing, and establishing environmental protection programs in Indian country.
Countries around the world are beginning to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. Some of their efforts are supported by:
- EPA's Role in International Climate Adaptation is to facilitate information-sharing on climate adaptation with communities and city planners in the developing world, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change.
- OECD's Environment Policy Committee provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and information, help countries prepare for a changing climate, and seek mitigation solutions.
- 100 Resilient Cities helps cities around the world become more resilient when faced with physical, social, and economic challenges associated with climate change.