Under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, Congress requires the government to release a National Climate Assessment every four years. This assessment is designed to summarize advancements in understanding climate change and its environmental impacts. Previous editions have been thorough, involving the collaboration of hundreds of scientists facilitated by the US Global Change Research Program.
The format and content of the upcoming report remain uncertain. Recently, just two weeks after federal funding for the organization responsible for the report’s production was cut, the Trump administration has reportedly notified all contributing authors that their services will no longer be required.
The National Climate Assessment has generally functioned as a more localized counterpart to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, focusing primarily on the effects of climate change within the United States. This document provides a detailed examination of climate science, the ramifications of rising temperatures on the US, and strategies aimed at mitigating these effects. It has served as a critical resource for various agencies and local governments attempting to prepare for the anticipated consequences of climate change.
However, previous assessments have also been embroiled in political controversies. The first Trump administration inherited a nearly finalized report and chose to release it hastily on the Friday following Thanksgiving, likely hoping it would attract minimal attention. The administration did not initiate work on the next report, and the Biden administration subsequently produced a thorough assessment, albeit slightly delayed.
The Biden administration began preparations for the sixth report in this series, which is legally required to be finished by 2028. However, the second Trump administration took over a process that was already in progress. In early April, the government canceled contracts with a consulting firm that was assisting the Global Change Research Program by providing temporary staff to help finalize the report. This decision has led to concerns about whether the report will meet its legally mandated timeline.
