The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) analyzes the impacts of climate and global change in the United States.
The development of NCA5 was overseen by a Federal Steering Committee appointed by the Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR) and comprising representatives from USGCRP agencies. NOAA, as the administrative agency for NCA5, is responsible for establishing procedures for the report, releasing Federal Register Notices, and certifying the report meets Information Quality Act and Evidence Act standards.
The process is designed to be transparent and inclusive, offering multiple opportunities for public participation. As in previous assessments, NCA5 underwent an extensive, multi-phase process of internal and external review from federal agency experts, the general public, and external peer review by a panel of experts established by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This approach is designed to result in a report that is authoritative, timely, relevant, and policy neutral; valued by authors and users; accessible to the widest possible audience; and fully compliant with the GCRA and other applicable laws and policies.
NCA5 assesses current and future risks posed by climate change to each of NCA’s 10 regions, illustrated below.
The NCA5 chapter webinars provided an opportunity to hear about the findings of each chapter from the authors themselves.
Webinars were held December 2023 - March 2024. Recordings are available on USGCRP's YouTube channel.
If you have any questions regarding a past webinar, please contact us. If you are interested in learning about other opportunities related to the National Climate Assessment, please subscribe to USGCRP's newsletter.
The NCA5 Companion Podcast is a limited series that introduces the report, showcases the perspectives of NCA5 authors and staff, and demonstrates how the Assessment can help inform decisions.
The podcast series is also available on all popular streaming platforms.
Episodes
Audiobook: Overview: Understanding risks, impacts, and responses
Audiolibro - Visión general: Comprendiendo los riesgos, los impactos, y las respuestas
Credits
Producers: Chris Avery, Allison Crimmins
Host: Allison Crimmins
Editing, Mixing, and Scoring: Mallory Hinks
Additional support: Allyza Lustig, Laurie Howell, Aaron Grade, and Michael Kuperberg
Music: AudioCoffee
Cover image: Chris Avery
Financial support: NSF
This podcast is produced by the US Global Change Research Program. The perspectives shared by the participants do not represent official positions of the United States Government. All rights reserved.
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February 2020
Federal Steering Committee established
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Spring/Summer 2020
Public call for comment on draft prospectus; public call for nominations for Chapter Leads, Chapter Authors, and Technical Contributors, and call for scientific/technical inputs
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Spring 2021
Coordinating Lead Authors and Chapter Leads selected
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Summer 2021
Chapter Authors selected
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Fall/Winter 2021
Interagency review of chapter outlines
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Early 2022
Public engagement; public call for Review Editor nominations
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Spring 2022
First draft developed
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Summer 2022
Agency review; Review Editors selected
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Fall 2022
Public and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reviews of draft
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Spring 2023
Authors revise draft in response to reviews
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Summer 2023
Final revisions and final agency reviews
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Fall 2023
Finalization
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November 2023
Publication
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was mandated by Congress in the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (GCRA) to coordinate “a comprehensive and integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” USGCRP comprises 15 federal agencies that conduct or use research on global change and its impacts on society.
The GCRA mandates that USGCRP deliver a quadrennial assessment, which has become known as the National Climate Assessment (NCA). The NCA is required to a) integrate, evaluate, and interpret the findings of the Program and discuss the scientific uncertainties associated with such findings; b) analyze the effects of global change on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, human health and welfare, human social systems, and biological diversity; and c) analyze current trends in global change, both human-induced and natural, and project major trends for the subsequent 25 to 100 years.
To date, five NCAs have been released. The first NCA was published in 2000, and the second was published in 2009. The third NCA, Climate Change Impacts in the United States, was published in 2014. The fourth NCA (NCA4) was delivered in two volumes, the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) and Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States. It was completed in 2018. The fifth NCA (NCA5) was released in November 2023.
Volume I of NCA4, the CSSR, was a comprehensive update on the state of the science of climate change and its impacts. It was not intended to be a regular part of the NCA development process.
NCA5 draws heavily on the CSSR and, similar to previous NCAs, includes chapters that focus on the state of the science of climate and global change, responding fully to the GCRA mandate.
Consistent with common practice for USGCRP assessment products, NCA5 is a technical scientific assessment. It does not make policy recommendations or evaluate existing or proposed policies.
NCA5 was released in November 2023.