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Fifth National Climate Assessment - Read the Report

U.S. Global Change Research Program Releases Fifth National Climate Assessment

November 14th, 2023
Two volunteers help demonstrate and install solar panels in Highland Park, Michigan, in May 2021. The event was hosted by the local nonprofit Soulardarity, which teaches local residents about solar power, installs solar-powered streetlights that also provide wireless internet access, and helps local communities build a just and equitable energy system. Adopting energy storage with decentralized solutions, such as microgrids or off-grid systems, can promote energy equity in overburdened communities.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is pleased to announce the release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Led by USGCRP and its 14 member agencies, NCA5 draws on the expertise of nearly 500 authors and 250 contributors from every state, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCA5 is the most up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of climate change in the United States, providing authoritative, decision-relevant information on how people across the country are experiencing climate change, the risks we face now and in the future, and actions underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience. The Assessment evaluates climate impacts across 10 U.S. regions and a wide range of interests, including water, forests and ecosystems, coasts and oceans, agriculture and rural communities, the built environment, energy and transportation, health and air quality, and economic and social systems. 

The extensively reviewed Assessment includes input from public comment and engagement, and an external peer review conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report meets the requirements of the Global Change Research Act, which mandates a quadrennial assessment of our understanding of global change and its impacts on the United States. Additional information on the report development process and timeline is available in NCA5’s Process Appendix.

USGCRP and its member agencies thank the many authors, contributors, and staff that made this Assessment possible.