The Trump administration dismantles National Climate Assessment websites, cutting off essential data used by cities, states and communities for disaster planning, while dismissing 400 scientists and experts involved in climate forecasting.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration has removed access to National Climate Assessment websites and dismissed approximately 400 scientists and experts who worked on climate forecasting.
- Local governments, particularly mid-sized and smaller cities lacking in-house climate expertise, now face significant challenges in planning for infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and budgeting without access to region-specific climate data.
- Despite the 1990 Global Change Research Act mandate requiring a national climate assessment every four years, the administration has eliminated funding for the U.S. Global Change Research Program that oversees the assessment.
- Previous reports included county-level impact data that helped communities make evidence-based decisions about resource allocation and risk mitigation.
Critical Climate Resources Disappear from Government Websites
Websites hosting the United States’ national climate assessments have been taken offline by the Trump administration, creating an information void for state and local governments that relied on this data for planning purposes. The White House stated that climate information would be housed within NASA, but searches on NASA websites have not yielded the assessments, and NASA has not responded to information requests. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which previously led the climate assessment process, has also remained silent on the matter.
The administration has terminated the contract with the firm coordinating the assessment website and report, while volunteer authors contributing to the assessment were informed their services were no longer needed. Beyond the main assessment sites, NOAA’s primary climate website has been redirected, and social media accounts and blogs documenting climate impacts have been cut, further restricting public access to previously available climate information.
Local Planning Thrown Into Disarray
The National Climate Assessment (NCA) has served as the backbone of regional and local climate planning, providing critical data that helps cities and communities develop infrastructure, prepare for emergencies, and allocate budgets appropriately. The removal of these resources creates a significant information gap, particularly for smaller municipalities that lack the resources to conduct their own climate research or hire specialized consultants. These communities now face uncertainty in their ability to make informed decisions about long-term investments and climate resilience strategies.
“This is the most-vetted, most-looked-over document that is presented specifically for people living in cities and leaders in cities who are making plans for how climate change will impact them,” said Brenda Ekwurzel from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Previous NCA reports were specifically designed to be accessible and useful for local planning, offering detailed information on regional climate trends, potential impacts, and adaptation strategies. The 2023 report included an interactive atlas showing climate impacts at the county level, a tool that many municipal planners had incorporated into their decision-making processes. Without access to these detailed projections, local governments are left to navigate climate challenges with outdated or incomplete information.
Scientific Community Responds to Dismantling of Climate Resources
The administration’s decision to dismiss approximately 400 scientists and experts working on the NCA represents a significant loss of institutional knowledge and expertise. Rick Spinrad, former NOAA undersecretary, warned about the broader implications of this move, particularly for sectors that rely on climate forecasting for operational planning. The scientific community has expressed alarm over what they view as an attempt to restrict access to essential climate data.
“The loss of the NCA will mean elimination of critical guidance for industries, communities and organizations throughout the country,” said Rick Spinrad, former NOAA undersecretary.
While past reports remain available in NOAA’s library archives, the interactive tools, ongoing updates, and user-friendly interfaces that made the information accessible to non-specialists are no longer available. The sixth version of the NCA, which was expected to be released in late 2027 or early 2028, is now under reevaluation by the administration, raising questions about the future of federally-supported climate research and reporting in the United States.
“It’s a sad day for the United States if it is true that the National Climate Assessment is no longer available. This is evidence of serious tampering with the facts and with people’s access to information, and it actually may increase the risk of people being harmed by climate-related impacts,” said Kathy Jacobs.
