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Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability

The National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS) coordinates interagency activities relevant to environmental research and policy, domestically and internationally. CENRS encompasses several subcommittees, including the Subcommittee on Global Change Research (the steering body for USGCRP) as well as other subcommittees with which USGCRP works closely.

State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience

President Obama signed Executive Order 13653 on November 1st, 2013, establishing a Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience to advise the Administration on how the Federal Government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with the impacts of climate change. The Task Force members include state, local, and tribal leaders from across the country who will use their first-hand experiences in building climate preparedness and resilience in their communities to inform their recommendations to the Administration. 

Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience

Executive Order 13653 also established an interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, chaired by the White House and composed of more than 25 agencies. The Council considers recommendations developed by the above Task Force; coordinates Federal climate preparedness and resilience activities; and supports state, local, and tribal actions to increase climate preparedness and resilience of communities, critical economic sectors, infrastructure, and natural resources.

Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee 

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), which consists of representatives from 16 agencies, departments, and offices across the Federal Government, is charged with enhancing scientific monitoring of and research on local, regional, and global environmental issues in the Arctic. 

National Ocean Council & Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

The National Ocean Council (NOC) is charged with implementing the National Ocean Policy, which covers actions the Federal Government will take to improve the health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST; a subcommittee of CENRS) works closely with the NOC to foster the implementation of the National Ocean Policy, including through the development and execution of national ocean research priorities. 

Air Quality Research Subcommittee

The Air Quality Research Subcommittee (AQRS; a subcommittee of CENRS) works to enhance the effectiveness and productivity of U.S. air quality research, and to improve information exchange between research and policy on air quality issues, including the scientific knowledge base for air quality standards and for assessing compliance.

Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality 

The Subcommitee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ; a subcommittee of CENRS) focuses on science issues and associated policy options related to the availability and quality of water resources in the U.S., within the context of the global hydrologic cycle and changing climate.

Subcommittee on Ecological Systems

The Subcommittee on Ecological Systems (SES; a subcommittee of CENRS) focuses on national ecological research priorities and includes the Working Group on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Informatics.  

Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction

The Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (SDR; a subcommittee of CENRS) facilitates national strategies for reducing disaster risks and losses that are based on effective use of science and technology, including in many climate-related areas.

U.S. Group on Earth Observations

Through the U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO), the U.S. supports cooperative, international efforts to build the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). GEOSS is being developed through the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), a partnership of 80 countries, the European Commission, and nearly 60 international organizations.