U.S. EPA Publishes its 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, Creating a New Roadmap to Resilience

On June 20, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) unveiled its 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, marking a significant step forward in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. This comprehensive plan outlines the agency’s strategies to enhance climate resilience across its programs, facilities, workforce, and operations. Building on the foundations of the 2014 and 2021 Climate Adaptation Plans, the 2024-2027 plan integrates climate adaptation into every facet of U.S. EPA’s functions. This iterative process reflects a growing recognition of the need for robust and dynamic responses to climate impacts, furthering U.S. EPA’s ambition to be a global leader in addressing resilience .

Key Objectives of the 2024-2027 Plan

The new Climate Adaptation Plan sets out a roadmap for the next four years, focusing on several key areas:

• Fostering a Climate-Ready Workforce

U.S. EPA is committed to cultivating a climate-literate workforce through continuous education and training. One notable initiative is the agency-wide Climate Conversations webinar series, which helps build a community of practice and encourages peer-to-peer sharing of experiences. This ongoing education ensures that staff are equipped with an understanding of projected climate impacts, the vulnerability of U.S. EPA programs to these impacts, and effective adaptation strategies.

• Building Facility Resilience

Facility resiliency assessments are central to the plan, aimed at identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities to climate impacts. By making informed recommendations, U.S. EPA ensures its facilities can withstand the adverse effects of climate change, safeguarding the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission.

• Developing Climate-Resilient Supply Chains

U.S. EPA is proactively addressing potential disruptions by incorporating climate hazard risk assessments into the Agency Supply Chain Risk Management plan. Upcoming supply chain risk assessments under federal regulations will further strengthen this approach, promoting continuity and resilience in operations.

• Integrating Climate Resilience into External Funding Opportunities

U.S. EPA launched the Climate-Resilient Investments Clearinghouse for financial assistance programs that prioritize climate resilience. This internal resource aids program managers in embedding climate adaptation and resilience considerations into daily investment decisions, supporting communities and Tribes in building adaptive capacity.

• Applying Climate Data and Tools to Decision Making

U.S. EPA is enhancing the accessibility and application of climate data and tools, providing communities with the necessary resources to assess risks and develop tailored resilience solutions. With this approach, decisions are made by the best available science and localized climate information.

• Integrating Climate Adaptation into Rulemaking Processes

U.S. EPA is embedding climate adaptation into its rulemaking processes. For instance, the recent Risk Management Program rule revisions require facilities managing certain hazardous materials in quantities above regulatory thresholds to take certain actions to prepare for extreme weather conditions.

Launch of the Office of Climate Adaptation and Sustainability

In March 2024, U.S. EPA established the Office of Climate Adaptation and Sustainability, dedicated to promoting resilience and sustainability. This new office will coordinate efforts to integrate climate considerations into all aspects of U.S. EPA’s mission, bolstering partnerships and driving innovative solutions.

A Coordinated Federal Response

U.S. EPA’s plan is part of a broader federal initiative, with over 20 agencies releasing climate adaptation plans simultaneously. These coordinated efforts align with executive orders and the National Climate Resilience Framework, highlighting a unified approach to building federal resilience to climate impacts.

The publication of the 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan underscores U.S. EPA’s ongoing commitment to foster a climate-ready workforce, build resilient facilities and supply chains, and integrate climate adaptation into funding and regulatory processes. The goals of this comprehensive strategy are to address immediate challenges related to climate change and also to lay the groundwork for a sustainable, resilient future for communities across the nation.

How ALL4 Can Help Your Company

As climate regulations and expectations evolve, ALL4 provides the expertise and resources your company needs to stay ahead. We specialize in guiding businesses through the complexities of climate adaptation, ensuring compliance with federal guidelines, and enhancing overall resilience. To support businesses in navigating the evolving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and sustainability landscape, ALL4 offers a range of services, including:

• Materiality Assessments: Identifying key environmental impacts to prioritize your sustainability efforts.
• GHG Accounting Procedures: Ensuring compliance with the Climate Superfund Act, including reporting and third-party verification services.
• ESG Reporting Strategies: Enhancing transparency and accountability through comprehensive environmental, social, and governance reporting.
• Carbon Reduction Targets: Establishing and pursuing net-zero goals to mitigate your carbon footprint.
• Climate Initiatives: Developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for climate adaptation and resilience.
• Supply Chain Risk Assessments: Identifying exposure to disruption across facilities, suppliers, customers and resources. Utilizing ALL4’s Risk Visualization tool to clarify hot spots and plan for resilience.
• Physical and Transition Risk Assessments: Ensuring they are aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) methodology.

For inquiries about ALL4’s services or questions regarding how climate adaptation strategies might improve your operations, please contact ALL4’s ESG and Sustainability Managing Consultant, James Giannantonio, at jgiannantonio@all4inc.com. ALL4 can help you build a sustainable, resilient future.