Key Impact Points:
- NASA ended the contract with ICF International, halting coordination of the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which produces the National Climate Assessment.
- Experts warn the Sixth National Climate Assessment, due in 2027, is now “effectively destroyed,” crippling climate decision-making.
- Climate leaders call the move “a crime against the planet,” as the administration aligns more closely with fossil fuel interests.
USGCRP Funding Terminated, National Climate Report in Peril
The White House has ended federal support for the coordination of the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)—the key body that delivers the U.S. government’s official assessment on climate change every four years. The move, confirmed by multiple sources, follows NASA’s decision to cut its contract with ICF International, the consulting firm that organized the program’s multi-agency collaboration.
“There’s really no coming back from this, and it means we are all less informed about climate impacts, and won’t have the most up-to-date information on risks and threats,” said one federal staffer involved with the USGCRP.
2027 Climate Assessment Unlikely to Materialize
The USGCRP’s National Climate Assessment is a Congressionally-mandated report that guides U.S. environmental planning across sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and water. The next installment was due by 2027. That deadline now appears out of reach.
“The Sixth National Climate Assessment is effectively destroyed,” said a second federal worker, granted anonymity. They explained that all federal staff had been told to abandon the program, and that only ICF personnel—now laid off—remained.
“Climate research as a whole will be hobbled because USGCRP’s interagency working groups are essential coordinating bodies across the entire government,” the worker added.
Climate Leaders Decry “Foolish” and “Criminal” Decision
The abrupt termination of the program follows a right-wing media attack on ICF International and aligns with proposals in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which advocates for dismantling the USGCRP or replacing its leadership with fossil fuel allies.
Andrew Rosenberg, a former NOAA official, called the move “very foolish” and “thoughtless,” emphasizing that the reports are affordable since most contributors are unpaid scientists. “National climate assessments provide an important synthesis of science across fields,” he said.
“Extreme weather disasters displaced millions of people and caused billions of dollars in damage in 2024 alone,” said Katharine Hayhoe, lead author on three national climate assessments. “Given the accelerating pace and scale of climate impacts today, a sustained and more comprehensive national climate assessment process is so essential.”
Global Climate Role Also Undermined
In February, Trump administration officials also denied U.S. scientists participation in a major Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting, and terminated ICF’s role in maintaining U.S. support for the global body.
“It is pure villainy,” said climate scientist Michael Mann. “A crime against the planet – arguably, the most profound of all crimes.”
The administration’s moves coincide with record-breaking campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies, raising alarm among experts and environmental advocates over the future of U.S. climate leadership.
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