Task Force Discussed Tackling Extreme Heat, Bolstering Resilience, and Lowering Energy Costs
Yesterday, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy convened the 12th meeting of the National Climate Task Force to discuss President Biden's commitment to protecting the most vulnerable Americans from extreme heat, strengthening the nation's resilience to extreme weather events, and lowering energy costs for families.
The Task Force received a science briefing on this summer's forecasted extreme heat, drought and wildfires in the West and flood risk across the East. The Task Force discussed how these climate and weather extremes disproportionately impact historically disadvantaged communities across America, and how the Task Force is taking action to fight back by weatherizing homes; updating building codes to boost resilience; setting flood-risk reduction standards to protect homeowners and businesses; shielding workers from extreme heat exposure on the job; increasing federal firefighters pay across the country to fight wildfires; and accelerating construction of grid-strengthening clean energy projects that will cut consumer costs.
In addition, the Task Force discussed efforts to leverage domestic climate action to spur international efforts, including recent successes advanced through the President's action-focused call to world leaders at last week's Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.
As outlined by President Biden's January 27 Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, the Task Force is chaired by the National Climate Advisor and includes Cabinet-level leaders from more than 25 federal agencies to mobilize the Biden-Harris Administration's implementation of a whole-of-government approach.
Task Force membership is comprised of the following government officials:
- National Climate Advisor (Chair)
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Defense
- Attorney General
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Administrator of General Services
- CEO of AmeriCorps
- Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Administrator of the Small Business Administration
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
- Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
- Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
- Assistant to the President for Economic Policy