The National Climate Assessment, a major U.S. Government report published every four years, brings together scientists from across the country to summarize the state of the science on climate change and how it is impacting the people and places of the United States. Now, you can be a part of the process!

Join us for the Midwest Public Engagement Workshop on January 24, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Central Time.

This virtual event is free and open to the public. The information gathered in the workshop will help the authors decide which topics to cover in the Midwest Chapter of the 5^th National Climate Assessment, on how climate change affects people and places in the United States. 

Register now

Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) Director Heidi Roop will serve as one of the authors of the Midwest Chapter of the report. Roop is Minnesota’s Extension Specialist for Climate Science and Adaptation and an Assistant Professor of Climate Science at the University of Minnesota.

“Community input is critical to the National Climate Assessment process," said Roop. "Given the diversity of climate impacts across the Midwest, we want to ensure relevant impacts and solutions are reflected in the report."

This event is part of a series of virtual public engagement workshops in January and February 2022 to inform development of the federal climate report. Public engagement is an important part of the National Climate Assessment development process and ensures that the author teams prioritize information that is most relevant to decision makers and other stakeholders. The authors of the report are partnering with the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) to host the series.

The purpose of the public engagement workshops is to:

• Provide an overview of USGCRP and the National Climate Assessment (NCA) development process, including other opportunities for public engagement
• Allow members of the public and assessment authors an opportunity to discuss proposed key topics, identify priority issues relevant to the chapter, and share resources
• Give NCA chapter authors an understanding of how workshop participants use assessments, and what could be done to make the NCA more useful for decision-making

The workshop will include a plenary session that provides an overview of the assessment and an introduction to the chapter. In breakout sessions, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the chapter’s key topics and their own priorities with chapter authors.

Given technical limitations, only the first 250 individuals to join the meeting will be able to participate. A link to attend the meeting, accessibility information, and other important details will be provided before the workshop via email.

About the report

The National Climate Assessment, which is released every four years, evaluates the effects of climate change on regions and sectors of the United States and reports on trends in climate change for the next 25 to 100 years. The 5th National Climate Assessment will highlight advances in scientific understanding of human-induced and natural processes of climate change and the resulting implications for the United States. Major themes will be presented through the lens of vulnerability, impacts, risks, and adaptation. The report is expected for release in late 2023. 

To learn more about the 5^th National Climate Assessment and additional opportunities to participate, please visit: www.globalchange.gov/nca5