NOAA has announced the creation of a new NOAA Climate Council, which will leverage the agency’s resources and expertise in support of the whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis.
The Climate Council is composed of senior leaders at the highest levels from across the agency and provides recommendations to the NOAA administrator on the agency’s climate-related mission, resource, and policy priorities.
By coordinating climate work across NOAA and partners, the council will strengthen NOAA’s climate services and bolster existing coordination activities. The council will also ensure that critical environmental information and services provided by NOAA to the American people keep pace with increasing demand and are delivered effectively and equitably to all communities.
“The climate crisis raises the urgency to ensure all of NOAA’s climate-related activities are well-coordinated and provide maximum value to every person, community, and business,” said Rick Spinrad, NOAA administrator. “By closely coordinating NOAA’s climate science and services, we can more effectively help communities adapt to a changing climate, while also creating conditions for economic growth and innovation.”
The NOAA Climate Council will address the following initial priorities:
- Ensuring NOAA’s trusted and authoritative climate science and services are foundational to the nation’s adaptation, mitigation, and resilience efforts;
- Advancing the equitable delivery of NOAA’s climate products and services to all communities, especially those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; and
- Coordinating NOAA’s climate portfolio within the Department of Commerce and with other agencies and partners to leverage one another’s expertise and enhance the value of collaboration and innovation toward a climate-ready nation.