The Trump administration's recent decision to cut funding and staffing from the federally mandated National Climate Assessment has sparked alarm among scientists about the report's viability.
Trump Administration Cuts Key Climate Assessment Program Support
Trump Administration Cuts Key Climate Assessment Program Support
The reduction in funding and staffing raises concerns for the future of the National Climate Assessment report.
April 9, 2025, 6:00 p.m. ET - The Trump administration, through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has slashed funding and staffing for the National Climate Assessment, which is essential in evaluating the impacts of climate change on various sectors in the United States. Required by Congress to be updated every four years, the assessment provides crucial insights into how rising temperatures affect human health, agriculture, and energy production. The last version emerged in 2023 and is relied upon by government entities and businesses to strategize for climate-related challenges.
The Global Change Research Program, created by Congress in 1990, manages the climate assessment. This program collaborates with NASA and other federal agencies, including the Smithsonian Institution, alongside numerous scientists. Recent actions indicate a critical downturn for the program: NASA has halted contracts with ICF International, the consulting firm that offered vital technical support and staffing since 2021. This decision undermines the program, which relied heavily on ICF's contributions valued at over $33 million.
Concerns are mounting over the feasibility of producing an upcoming National Climate Assessment, particularly after input from experts like Donald Wuebbles, a climatologist at the University of Illinois, who remarked on the precarious situation, stating, “It’s hard to see how they’re going to put out a National Climate Assessment now.” Nevertheless, he emphasized that the report remains a congressional obligation.
A NASA representative explained that the agency is realigning its support for the U.S. Global Change Research Program to comply with President Trump’s executive orders, citing a need for increased efficiency across various agencies involved in this significant effort. As a result, the future of climate assessments remains uncertain in the wake of these significant funding and staffing reductions.
The Global Change Research Program, created by Congress in 1990, manages the climate assessment. This program collaborates with NASA and other federal agencies, including the Smithsonian Institution, alongside numerous scientists. Recent actions indicate a critical downturn for the program: NASA has halted contracts with ICF International, the consulting firm that offered vital technical support and staffing since 2021. This decision undermines the program, which relied heavily on ICF's contributions valued at over $33 million.
Concerns are mounting over the feasibility of producing an upcoming National Climate Assessment, particularly after input from experts like Donald Wuebbles, a climatologist at the University of Illinois, who remarked on the precarious situation, stating, “It’s hard to see how they’re going to put out a National Climate Assessment now.” Nevertheless, he emphasized that the report remains a congressional obligation.
A NASA representative explained that the agency is realigning its support for the U.S. Global Change Research Program to comply with President Trump’s executive orders, citing a need for increased efficiency across various agencies involved in this significant effort. As a result, the future of climate assessments remains uncertain in the wake of these significant funding and staffing reductions.
