U.S. GAO report: Climate Change - Selected Government Approaches (GAO 16-454)
This Government Accountability Office (GAO) report compares the adaptation efforts of the United States with those of five foreign governments: the European Union (EU), Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom (UK). The report describes the plans, laws, and programs that have been adopted in each country to promote adaptation and resilience. The report also looks at how each country is coordinating across government agencies, funding adaptation initiatives, and monitoring and evaluating the efficacy of adaptation actions.
The report includes examples of initiatives that have been implemented in other countries to prepare for climate change impacts:
- The EU enacted the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to coordinate disaster preparedness activities between the EU and member nations, with an official mandate to take climate change into account when assessing risks of natural disasters.
- Mexico's General Law on Climate Change (enacted in 2012) requires the development of a national strategy and program for adapting to climate change and monitoring and evaluating the program.
- The Netherlands' Delta Act requires the consideration of climate change in the management of freshwater supply and flood protection
- The Philippine's Climate Change Act of 2009 established a Climate Change Commission tasked with developing a National Climate Action Plan and framework.
- The UK's Climate Change Act of 2008 required development of a national adaptation plan to be updated every 5 years.
- The Netherlands and EU have developed funding programs to support resilience investments. The EU has committed to spending 20 percent of its annual budget on climate preparedness and mitigation initiatives. The Netherlands has committed €1.2 billion to fund flood risk reduction and infrastructure improvements.
- The UK has developed a program monitor and evaluate climate preparedness activities.
- The UK and the Philippines are aligning their climate preparedness activities with other resilience initiatives to prepare for terrorism or health pandemics.
The report also details legal and policy actions that the US is taking at a federal level including federal legislative efforts and executive orders that require climate preparedness actions among federal agencies. The report notes that the US has spent $357 billion in direct costs responding to extreme weather and fire events over the last decade and that climate change poses increasing financial risks to the government.
The report was requested by Representative Cartwright of Pennsylvania who has proposed legislation that would require federal agencies to consider climate change in federal programs.
Publication Date: May 2016
Related Organizations:
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Resource Category:
Resource Types:
- Legal Analysis
- Policy analysis/recommendations
- Progress report
