1) Secretary Raimondo Establishes Commerce Climate Council, Directs Department to Integrate Climate Considerations into Policies, Strategic Planning, and Programs (press release)
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced a Department Administrative Order (DAO), directing the Department to integrate climate considerations into its policies, strategic planning, and programs. This historic DAO also establishes the Department of Commerce Climate Council to coordinate and oversee the implementation of this DAO, as well as provide specific recommendations to the Secretary on addressing the climate crisis.
“Addressing the climate crisis has been a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, and at the Department of Commerce we have been working tirelessly to use every tool at our disposal to help address this crisis and related economic impacts. As we celebrate Earth Day, I can think of no better time to formalize, highlight, and support that work through this DAO,” said Secretary Raimondo. “The Commerce Department is prepared to leverage all of its bureaus, and our dedicated workforce, to ensure this administration and communities across the nation have the data, tools, and resources they need to mitigate the impacts of climate change while building a better, more resilient, America.”
“The climate crisis is an equity crisis, plain and simple. We have watched as the extreme weather events associated with climate change have wreaked havoc on our most vulnerable communities. This devastation has been compounded by other systemic injustices, such as lack of affordable healthcare and housing. As Chair of the Department of Commerce Climate Council, I look forward to working with the dedicated public servants right here at Commerce to tackle these issues head on,” said Deputy Secretary Don Graves. “Thanks to President Biden, the United States has renewed its leadership position on tackling climate change, from rejoining the Paris Agreement to committing to cutting greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030. This DAO is part and parcel of these ambitious goals, and we will continue to do the necessary work in achieving them.”
This DAO builds upon efforts taking place across the administration, including an announcement the Secretary made yesterday alongside the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget regarding the initiation of the first U.S. national system of natural capital accounts and standardized environmental-economic statistics
The DAO is issued in accordance with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which President Biden issued on January 27, 2021. Specifically, the DAO states that it is the policy of the Department to incorporate climate considerations, including mitigation measures, adaptation and resilience measures, and environmental justice measures into its policies, strategic planning, and programs.
It also establishes the DOC Climate Council to oversee the implementation of the policy and highlights ongoing climate actions by bureau. . . .
https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2022/04/secretary-raimondo-establishes-commerce-climate-council-directs
2) ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS (DAO 216-22) -- excerpts:
SECTION 1. PURPOSE.
.01 This Department Administrative Order (DAO) establishes the policy for the Department of Commerce (Department-wide) to integrate climate considerations into its policies, strategic planning, and programs.
.02 This DAO also establishes the Department of Commerce Climate Council to provide direction and definition for specific climate considerations, and to coordinate and oversee the implementation of this DAO.
SECTION 3. POLICY.
.01 It is the policy of the Department to incorporate climate considerations, including mitigation measures, adaptation and resilience measures, and environmental justice measures, into its strategic planning and programs. The Department will continue to support the climate work that is already occurring across the Department and will continue to collaborate on whole-of-government climate efforts, as it also undertakes new efforts related to climate. When feasible, operating units and Departmental offices will consult and coordinate with each other to achieve the most beneficial outcomes.
.02 The Department will rely on the best available and most up-to-date science and data when making decisions related to climate, including prioritizing the collection and use of these data across operating units and Departmental offices. The Department will, as appropriate, provide climate-related data and services to decision-makers across the Federal government, state and local governments, and the private and non-profit sectors to inform and advance their climate work, consistent with applicable law. Recognizing the critical role that the ocean and coastal zones play in successfully addressing the climate crisis, the Department will continue work to achieve sustainable and effective ocean and coastal co-use and conservation.
.03 The Department will, as appropriate, work with businesses to advance climate mitigation and resiliency efforts, recognizing the critical role that the private sector plays in successfully addressing the climate crisis domestically and internationally. The Department will prioritize growing the green and blue economies and creating quality jobs, recognizing that addressing the climate crisis is central to both the economic and environmental health of the country. The Department will also, as appropriate, work with like-minded foreign governments to advance climate efforts, recognizing the critical role international engagement plays in successfully addressing the climate crisis.
SECTION 4. PROCEDURES.
.01 The Department shall establish and regularly convene a Department of Commerce Climate Council (Council) to coordinate and oversee the implementation of this DAO. . . .
.02 Impact Evaluations – This type of evaluation estimates and compares outcomes with and without the program, policy, or organization. Impact evaluations include both experimental (i.e., randomized controlled trials) and quasi-experimental (i.e., comparison group that did not receive the service or intervention) designs. An impact evaluation can help answer the question, “does it work,” or “did the intervention cause the observed outcomes?”
.02 [sic] The Council shall be responsible for:
a. Advancing and overseeing the policies prescribed in this Order, including, but not limited to, the identification of specific climate considerations for Departmental offices and operating units, and the development of specific climate-related policies, action plans, or program activities;
b. Identifying specific deliverables for the Department’s operating units;
c. Coordinating the Department' s broader climate work, including on White House-directed initiatives;
d. Disseminating any updated direction on addressing the climate crisis from the White House or Department leadership; and
e. Further developing the Department’s strategic direction as it relates to climate, as appropriate over time.
SECTION 5. ACTIONS.
The Department will integrate equitable climate considerations into its strategic planning and programming, including but not limited to the following ongoing bureau actions:
a. The Bureau of Economic Analysis will advance economic accounting related to the environment and climate, to improve understanding of the interplay between climate work and the U.S. economy.
b. The Bureau of Industry and Security will identify areas in its core practices and programs where it can incorporate climate considerations, including developing outreach strategies for awareness of and compliance with export controls for companies focused on climate related solutions and technologies.
c. The Census Bureau will conduct research to better understand the effects of climate change on businesses and households and share findings with relevant stakeholders, including with other bureaus.
d. The Economic Development Administration will ensure climate change mitigation and resilience concepts are incorporated into program design, including Notices of Funding Opportunity where appropriate, and it will identify and execute on additional avenues to incorporate climate considerations into its work.
e. The International Trade Administration will align its industry engagements with the Administration’s vision for a low carbon future and will prioritize clean technology as part of its work to coordinate the export promotion and export financing activities of the U.S. government.
f. The Minority Business Development Agency will review its programs and practices to identify opportunities to further embed climate considerations into its work.
g. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will implement a dedicated process to review and coordinate ongoing and planned climate-related activities to ensure that NIST continues to deliver the most accurate measurements, data, and standards. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will report on how it reviewed its programs and practices to identify opportunities to integrate climate considerations into its work.
h. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will review its programs and practices to identify opportunities to integrate climate considerations into its work.
i. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will implement a formal process to oversee, coordinate, and strengthen the work across NOAA offices whose missions include climate; maintain an inventory of its climate-related work; and conduct listening sessions with external stakeholders on their use of NOAA's climate data, tools, observations, assets, and services. Based on those inputs, NOAA will pursue opportunities to improve its climate data, tools, observations, assets, and services and advance coastal resilience and ocean-based climate solutions.
j. The Department will work to invest in and maintain climate-ready, resilient and, where feasible, net-zero emissions facilities and will assess climate change vulnerabilities, using climate information from the latest National Climate Assessment, to assist in developing the Department’s climate change adaptation and resilience plans.
k. The United States Patent and Trademark Office will review its programs and practices to identify opportunities to integrate climate considerations into its work and explore the potential to accelerate review of patent applications that pertain to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy, greenhouse gas emission reduction, or other climate related topics.
These actions will be overseen by the DOC Climate Council. In taking these actions, each operating unit and Departmental office will be mindful of the value and benefit of their work to the work of other operating units and Departmental offices within the Department. When feasible, the operating units and Departmental offices will consult and coordinate with each other to achieve the most beneficial outcomes. In addition, the Department will coordinate with other agencies and interagency efforts, including through the National Climate Task Force.
https://osec.doc.gov/opog/dmp/daos/dao216_22.html