EPA Releases 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan

On June 20th, EPA released its 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, which describes the Environmental Protection Agency’s actions to address the impacts of climate change. Highlights from the Plan include:

• Supply Chain: EPA has initiated a tiered approach to investigate the Agency’s risks in 2024, prioritizing the Supply Chain Risk Assessment of enterprise-level critical supplies and services. Upon completion of the enterprise-level Supply Chain Risk Assessments and through FY 2027, EPA will begin to assess vulnerabilities and risks within regional and programmatic offices.
• Cyber: Climate change can increase risk for cyber threats, disruptions, and other opportunities for information exploitation. Risks to EPA’s physical assets and the surrounding transportation networks that the Agency relies on from climate change are increasing the Agency’s reliance on remote access capabilities to continue mission operations. In 2023, EPA began updating its Information Security Risk Management Strategic and Information Security Continuous Monitoring Strategic plans to improve information security procedure guides and other templates to incorporate updated guidance and requirements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology into information and communications technology procurement. Through FY 2027, EPA will begin conducting Supply Chain Risk Assessments, starting with Federal Information Security Management Act high-value reportable assets and at-risk Information Technology systems, then transitioning to the moderate and low-risk assets and systems, ensuring that the full scope of cybersecurity supply chain risk management is assessed
• Integrating Climate Resilience into External Funding Opportunities – EPA is modernizing its financial assistance programs to encourage investments by communities and Tribes that are more resilient in an era of climate change.  To support this effort, EPA launched an internal Climate-Resilient Investments Clearinghouse website to help managers of financial assistance programs incorporate climate adaptation and resilience considerations in the investment decisions EPA makes each day.
• Applying Climate Data and Tools to Decision Making – EPA is equipping communities and the recipients of financial resources with the tools, data, information and technical support they need to assess their climate risks and develop the climate-resilience solutions most appropriate for them.
• Integrating Climate Adaptation into Rulemaking Processes – EPA is integrating climate adaptation into its rulemaking processes where appropriate and in keeping with our statutory authorities to ensure they are effective even as the climate changes.  For example, on March 14, 2024, EPA finalized a rule requiring a broad array of facilities that manage hazardous materials to develop response plans to prepare for the largest foreseeable discharges in adverse weather conditions, including more extreme weather conditions expected as the climate changes. EPA is also committed to applying climate change and environmental justice policy principles through National Environmental Policy Act reviews.