Tackling the Climate Crisis

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“At the Department of the Interior, I believe we have a unique opportunity to make our communities more resilient to climate change and to help lead the transition to a clean energy economy.” 

— Secretary Deb Haaland

The United States faces a profound climate crisis, and the Department of the Interior is taking action to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and meet the moment. The climate crisis is transforming where and how we live and presents growing challenges to human health and quality of life, the economy, and the natural systems that support us. In 2022, the U.S. experienced 18 separate weather and climate disasters costing at least 1 billion dollars.

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering historic resources to make communities more resilient to climate change. Combined, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act represent the largest investments in climate resilience in the nation’s history and provide unprecedented resources to support the Administration’s comprehensive, all-of-government approach. 

As the climate crisis disproportionately affects underserved communities, the Department of the Interior is supporting the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis and put environmental justice at the center of its mission. Because decision-making often overlooks the disparate and cumulative impacts of the climate crisis on Black and brown communities, we are charting a new and better course —listening and learning from affected communities — as part of a whole-of-government approach to address the climate crisis.

In doing so, we are working to build a modern, resilient climate infrastructure and clean energy future that will create millions of good-paying union jobs, while protecting the communities, natural, and cultural resources on which we rely.   

As directed by Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Interior joined other federal agencies in the release of its Climate Action Plan on Oct. 7, 2021.

The Climate Action Plan demonstrates the Interior Department's commitment to use science as the foundation for decisions, recognizing that the Department’s approach to adaptation should evolve as science informs an understanding of climate change risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. 

As part of the implementation of Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, Secretary Haaland issued Secretary’s Order 3407, Department-Wide Approach to Reducing Plastic Pollution on June 8, 2022. This order aims to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging to phase out these products on Department-managed lands by 2032. All of the Department’s bureaus and offices have finalized sustainable procurement plans to phase out single-use plastics on public lands within the next decade. 

On October 6, 2022, the Department released its Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan Progress Report. The report highlights key steps the Department has taken to advance the following climate adaptation themes:

• Promote Climate-Resilient Lands, Waters, and Cultural Resources
• Advance Climate Equity
• Transition to a Resilient Clean Energy Economy
• Support Tribal and Insular Community Resilience
• Empower the Next Generation of Conservation and Resilience Workers
• Enhance Climate Literacy
• Bolster Climate Resilience in the Management of Sites, Facilities and Supply of Products and Services

On June 20, 2024, the Department joined more than 20 federal agencies to release updated Climate Action Plans, which will guide our actions to prepare for and adapt to climate change in the coming years. The Department’s 2024–2027 Climate Adaptation Plan provides guidance in two key ways: First, it includes a risk assessment, which uses historical data and future projections to measure Department exposure to the impacts of climate change. It also includes an implementation plan that describes how the Department will build on recent actions to address climate hazards in the years to come. 

Resources:

• Reducing Single-Use Plastic Pollution: Implementing Secretary’s Order 3407, Department-Wide Approach to Reducing Plastic Pollution
• Bureau of Reclamation Climate Change Page
• Fish and Wildlife Service Climate Page
• USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers
• National Park Service Climate Change Page
• Bureau of Land Management Climate Change Page
• Climate Change and Your National Parks