Climate Adaptation at the Federal Level

This 2014 fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines federal climate change adaptation and resiliency efforts in the United States. It details the economic impacts of extreme weather events in 2012, analyzes proposed and passed legislation such as the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, and reviews executive actions and agency-specific adaptation plans from the Obama administration.

• The United States experienced significant economic losses from extreme weather in 2012, with 11 "Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters" totaling $115 billion in damages. The most costly event was Hurricane Sandy, which caused $65 billion in damages and 159 deaths, while a severe drought affecting 22 states resulted in $30 billion in costs and 123 direct deaths.
• The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified climate change as a high risk in 2013, noting that extreme weather events increase the federal government's fiscal exposure and recommending the creation of a national climate change adaptation strategy.
• The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 provided $50.7 billion for Hurricane Sandy recovery and included specific authorizations for adaptation: up to $5.38 billion for the Federal Transit Administration to reduce future disaster risk and $2.9 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce future flood risk and support coastal ecosystem sustainability.
• Several legislative proposals were introduced in 2013 to formalize federal resiliency. The SAFE Act (S. 1202) proposed a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Panel and a National Climate Change and Wildlife Center. The STRONG Act (S. 904 and H.R. 2322) proposed a National Extreme Weather Resilience Plan and an interagency working group to identify gaps in resilience activities.
• Executive actions under the Obama administration mandated climate adaptation planning across federal agencies. Executive Order 13514 required agencies to develop Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans (SSPP) by FY 2011, and Executive Order 13653 established the Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience and the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.
• Various federal agencies have developed specific adaptation roadmaps: the USACE focuses on mainstreaming adaptation in water-resource infrastructure; the USDA focuses on food security and forest resiliency; the DOD prioritizes national security and facility readiness; the DHS emphasizes critical infrastructure and Arctic security; and the EPA focuses on decision-making tools and tribal partnerships.

APA

Hampton, R., & Cross, J.-M. (2014). Climate Adaptation at the Federal Level. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-climate-adaptation-at-the-federal-level

Chicago

Hampton, Rachel, and John-Michael Cross. Climate Adaptation at the Federal Level. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2014. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-climate-adaptation-at-the-federal-level.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hampton |first1=Rachel |last2=Cross |first2=John-Michael |title=Climate Adaptation at the Federal Level |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=16 January 2014 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-climate-adaptation-at-the-federal-level |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hampton2014climate, author = {Hampton, Rachel and Cross, John-Michael}, title = {{Climate Adaptation at the Federal Level}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2014}, month = jan, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-climate-adaptation-at-the-federal-level}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }