Becoming a Climate-Ready Nation: Interagency Collaboration to Advance Greenhouse Gas Observations, Understanding, and Applications

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) supports interagency groups across federal agencies in coordinating and implementing global change research activities. The USGCRP Integrated Observations Interagency Working Group (ObsIWG) and the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) support many federal greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring, assessment, research, and management activities. ObsIWG sponsored a seminar series in 2024 entitled Becoming a Climate Ready Nation: A Focus on Greenhouse Gases, with many sessions co-hosted by CCIWG. The series highlighted today’s most pressing climate topics and challenges affected by increasing GHG emissions. Topics covered a spectrum of Earth system measurements and applications, emphasizing the environmental intelligence enabled by high-quality Earth observations and the support of strong partnerships. Speakers focused on the status and use of in situ and satellite observations of GHG and fluxes to address pressing Earth system needs, issues, and impacts within the context of both an integrated system and the goal to complete a Global Stocktake every five years. In addition, CCIWG coordinates federal agency discussion of GHG observation, research, and management priorities in natural systems in response to the White House National Strategy to Advance an Integrated U.S. Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring, and Information Service (GHGMMIS). This presentation focuses on the outcomes of the seminar series, with particular emphasis on recommendations that would advance GHG measurements, awareness, collaborations, and actions to help us become a climate-ready nation. We also showcase emerging focus areas among CCIWG members in response to the national GHGMMIS strategy.