Addressing Emerging Climate Change Issues

Climate Change will be one of the federal government’s and indeed the world’s most complex environmental challenges.

The Congress has increased its focus on climate change in light of compelling scientific evidence on the relationship between human activity, the accumulation of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere, and the effects of those changes on the environment.
Congress is considering legislation for greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and use of fossil fuels.
Many cabinet-level agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency need to be involved in the federal government's strategy for addressing this monumental agency challenge.
Voluntary emission reduction programs will not be sufficient to achieve meaningful, long-term reductions in emissions.
The federal government lacks a comprehensive approach for targeting federal research dollars at the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies.
The technical challenges of carbon capture and storage, biofuels development, production, and distribution, and alternative sources of energy have not been fully researched.
Federal agencies are behind in their efforts to develop strategies and guidance for adapting to climate change.
Federal crop insurance and flood insurance programs have not yet considered the implications of climate change on their portfolios.
Energy conservation efforts could assist in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
In GAO’s view, the federal government’s approach to climate change has been ad hoc, not comprehensive, and not well coordinated across government agencies.

^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done

To inform the Congress as it considers various legislative proposals for addressing climate change, GAO has reported on the lessons learned from the European Union's efforts to implement mandatory carbon reductions, and the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol.
GAO has also reported on the challenges in carbon capture and storage—another key component of most climate change legislative proposals—and identified issues that must be resolved before this new technology can become a key mitigation option to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions.
GAO has also issued information on the carbon offset market, and identified challenges that must be resolved before this can be a part of climate change legislation.
Federal agencies, in consultation with state and local governments, and key congressional committees of jurisdiction need to develop a national strategic plan that will guide the nation's efforts to adapt to a changing climate.
Federal agencies need to better coordinate and more comprehensive identify and address research gaps in alternative fuels, clean coal, and other emission reduction technologies.
EPA and DOE need to put more rigor into their voluntary emission reduction programs, and track and report results.

Major Management Challenges
GAO-09-434, Mar 4, 2009

Considerations for U.S. Policy Makers
GAO-09-724R, Jul 8, 2009