Climate Research Moves Beyond the Federal Government

Climate Research Outside the Federal Government  

While the federal government continues to defund and even delete climate research, other organizations are stepping up.

Here are some key new projects:  

• National Academy of Sciences: Review on greenhouse gases threat to human health and welfare  

• Cornerstone: A collaboration of Watershed and Stanford’s Sustainable Solutions Lab to launch the Sustainability Data Initiative to serve as an open-source hub for supply chain emission tracking in lieu of the EPA no longer updating its own database

• American Geophysical Union and American Meteorological Society: Call for research on climate change in the US

• Coordinated response from climate scientists to the Department of Energy’s recent report challenging climate science 

Also check out a new report from Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law– Varied Legal Parameters Shape Fiduciaries’ Ability to Act on Climate Risk. The paper explores “precisely where fiduciary law may require, permit, or prohibit corporate and investment decision-makers' actions to address climate risk.”

UPCOMING: CARB Virtual Workshop – August 21  

Join the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its next public workshop to discuss California’s climate-related disclosure laws. The workshop will be an opportunity to hear an update from CARB on the rulemaking process, following its FAQ document release in July.

Agenda: CARB will present its initial fee regulation framework. Participants will then have the chance to weigh in on key debates, such as how to define “doing business in California,” “revenue,” and “parent-subsidiary” relationships. Read more about these issues in US SIF’s Analysis of Stakeholder Input.

Weigh-in: Sign up to attend the call here. A public docket will be opened following the workshop for written feedback.