FY 2012 Climate Change Adaptation Plan: U.S. Department of Education.

摘要

While the scope, severity, and pace of future climate change impacts are difficult to predict, it is clear that potential changes could have important impacts on the U.S. Department of Educations (the Departments) ability to fulfill its mission. Climate change adaptation is a critical complement to mitigation; both are required to address the causes and consequences of climate change. Adaptation planning allows the Department to minimize negative impacts of climate change that are already occurring and take advantage of any new science or technologies that may mitigate or moderate climate change. Through adaptation planning, the Department identifies how climate change is likely to affect our ability to achieve our mission, operate our facilities, and meet our policy and program objectives. Through adaptation planning the Department develops, prioritizes, implements, and evaluates actions to moderate climate change risks and exploit any new opportunities that climate change may bring. By integrating climate change adaptation strategies into our programs and operations, the Department better ensures that taxpayer resources are invested wisely, and Department services and operations remain effective in current and future climate conditions. The Departments Senior Sustainability Officer is responsible for ensuring implementation of all aspects of this plan. In 2011, the Department established an intra-agency committee that reviewed and discussed examples of climate change impacts by sector from the National Academies of Sciences report, Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change to conduct a high-level analysis of agency vulnerability to climate change and develop priority actions. Through quarterly meetings of the intra-agency committee, the Department will monitor climate change adaptation actions, evaluate the need to adjust activities as new information becomes available, and review and update the climate adaptation plan.