Key Topics

Multilateral Fora and Negotiations

The climate crisis knows no boundaries, and both the challenge and its solutions range from local to global in scale.  Because of this, international cooperation and collaboration through negotiation and implementation of international agreements are essential.  The Negotiations Team represents the United States in negotiations under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and in many other international fora that address climate change, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), G7, G20, and others.

Science

The science of climate change is clear.  Scientists have analyzed decades worth of data and warn that our planet is warming at an unprecedented rate.  The window to take meaningful action to limit warming to 1.5°C and avoid the worst consequences of climate change is closing rapidly.  The United States is committed to leveraging scientific information as a foundation for policy and action in this decisive decade.

The Science Team leverages the best available climate science to inform policy and decision-making.  The Office of Global Change leads U.S. government participation in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which assesses scientific and technical information related to climate change.  The IPCC completed its sixth assessment report in March 2023.  The Science Team also manages strategic bilateral and multilateral partnerships on climate change such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Initiatives and Partnerships

No country can solve the climate crisis alone.  As the United States and countries around the world increase their ambitions to combat the climate crisis, more urgent implementation is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the most vulnerable communities adapt to and manage the climate impacts already occurring.

The Initiatives and Partnerships Team builds and fosters relationships through bilateral, multilateral, and global partnerships on a range of issues from strengthening energy security and expanding clean energy economic opportunities to conserving forests and critical ecosystems, cutting greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide, increasing resilience to climate-related disasters, and preventing global temperatures from rising above 1.5°C to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. 

Climate Programming

The Program Team requests funding, develops programs, and oversees and evaluates the implementation of Department of State climate change foreign assistance.  The team focuses on clean energy, adaptation and resilience, and sustainable landscapes, including through U.S. participation in the Green Climate Fund (in coordination with the Treasury Department).  Examples include:

• The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network supports developing countries to prepare, finance, implement, monitor, and update national adaptation plans.  National adaptation plans enable developing countries to identify and address their medium- and long-term priorities for adapting to climate change.  These efforts facilitate coordination, mobilize resources, allocate support, and track progress.  National adaptation plan processes are the foundation for adaptation action at scale.  The NAP Global Network facilitates sustained peer learning, provides short- and long-term technical assistance to countries, and fosters knowledge production and sharing.  The network connects over 1,500 participants from more than 150 countries working on national adaptation planning and action and has delivered direct support to more than 50 countries.  Learn more about the NAP Global Network.
• The Global Climate Action Partnership (GCAP) supports global, regional, national, and subnational climate action to advance transitions to low- and zero-carbon, and to support resilient economies and sectors in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.  The Partnership aims to achieve near-term climate goals and to develop long-term resilient, just, and inclusive low emission and net-zero economies.  Learn more about GCAP.
• SilvaCarbon supports more than two dozen partner countries in developing and managing forest and climate data as well as monitoring and reporting systems to support better land management decisions, enhance efforts to curb deforestation, support livelihoods, set ambitious climate targets, fulfill international reporting requirements, and access financial instruments.  Learn more about this interagency technical cooperation program.