The climate crisis poses a serious threat to the Department of State's mission to advance the United States' interests around the world. With thousands of personnel spread over 270 posts in 190 countries, the Department has first-hand experience with the impacts of extreme weather events and other climate-related disasters. The Department is committed to enhancing resilience in our workforce, facilities, and operations around the world.
The Department has released its 2022 Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CARP) Progress Update. This document provides a snapshot of our progress on the 2021 Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, accessible here, which we drafted in response to E.O. 14008 Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The 2021 CARP and the 2022 Progress Update commit the Department to assessing our immediate and long-term vulnerabilities to climate hazards through focusing on five priority themes: enhancing mobility in the workforce; improving emergency planning and preparedness; enabling climate-ready sites and facilities; evaluating climate risks in supply chain and procurement; and improving local infrastructure through host country engagement.
Since the release of the Plan, the Department has completed several actions in these themes to enhance our resilience. The Department completed reviews of Emergency Action Plans for all posts to evaluate if any additional climate considerations are needed for adequate preparation and completed a risk assessment for all overseas facilities that will inform adaptation priorities. The Department also completed a supply chain assessment to identify potential disruptions from climate change. Resilience Innovation Grants enabled over 22 projects that enhance operational resilience with innovative solutions such as new water treatment and recycling systems, new systems controls, and improvements to landscapes to reduce the need for irrigation and attract pollinators to support the local ecosystem. On host country engagement, the Department is actively supporting the Greening Government Initiative, a community of practice that the White House is co-leading with Canada, with 46 signatory countries, and the Department co-leads the implementation of the President's Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE).
The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan complements the agency's annual Sustainability Plan, which tracks progress and sets strategies to meet federal sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction goals and lead by example.
