Climate Effects on U.S. International Interests

The Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) includes a chapter that is mainly focused on international issues – something that was not included in the prior NCAs. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has firmly concluded that the global impacts of climate are already having important implications for societies and ecosystems around the world and are projected to continue to do so into the future. This chapter examines key ways in which specific U.S. interests are already being affected by climate-related impacts outside of U.S. borders and may be further affected in the future. These interests include economics and trade, international development and humanitarian assistance, national security, and transboundary resources. The chapter also addresses U.S. cooperation in international scientific activities. This presentation will address those issues and tie back into some of the themes presented in the preceding talks in this session that are focused on impacts within U.S. borders.