Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.