Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 First Draft of OITA's International and Tribal Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans Introduction Climate change poses a real and present danger to communities across the U.S. including tribal and Alaskan Native Villages, and to our international partner communities as well. Nearly 40% of federally recognized tribes live in Alaska Native communities where rapidly rising temperatures, melting sea ice and glaciers, and thawing permafrost is having a significant negative impact on critical infrastructure, in addition to other disproportionate impacts to tribal lands and natural resources closely tied to traditions and cultural identities. Internationally, climate impacts are already being felt, and already disproportionately impacting communities in the Global South where historic and growing inequities are especially challenging. President Biden's Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, requires federal agencies to develop Climate Action Plans that describe their agency's climate vulnerabilities, as well as the vulnerabilities of their tribal and international partners, and the steps it will take to bolster adaptation and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. The 2021 EPA-wide Plan calls for accelerating and enhancing climate action and focuses agency attention on priority actions it will take to fulfill our mission and increase human and ecosystem resilience even as the climate changes. The Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) has two distinct areas of focus: the American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO), and the Office of International Affairs (OIA). OITA has developed a distinct Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan for the two distinct missions. The specific plans for AIEO (pages 2-8) and for OIA (pages 9-15), are significant enhancements to the OITA's 2014 plans. AIEO and OIA will also consult with its tribal and international partners, as appropriate, as these plans evolve and are refined. Senior Career Leader Responsible for Oversight The senior career leader responsible for oversight of the OITA climate adaptation activities is the OITA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Rafael DeLeon. In AIEO, several people have contributed to the development of the climate adaptation plan. Felicia Wright is the Deputy Director of AIEO and provided plan oversight and guidance, especially on priority actions. Lisa Berrios is the Senior Advisor for Tribal Capacity Development and she provided extensive input on plan development and direction. Sarah Finnegan is the performance measures lead for the Tribal Capacity Development team and she contributed to the development of the plan and performance measures. In OIA, Deputy Office Directors Hodayah Finman and Lisa Almodovar provide guidance and oversight, and Anthony Socci, Ph.D., Senior Lead on International Resilience & Adaptation Policy, leads planning, outreach and drafting. Page 1 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 American Indian Environmental Office Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Climate Vulnerability Assessment Each Tribe experiences individually unique climate change impacts and vulnerabilities. Collectively, tribal nations and indigenous people experience nearly every climate change impact present and are among the most vulnerable communities in North America. Tribes are more vulnerable to climate change impacts because of their connectedness to specific geographic areas for their livelihoods and traditional lifeways, the degree to which those geographic areas embody climate-sensitive environments, and their unique cultural, economic, or political characteristics and contexts, including Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). The disproportionate vulnerability of Tribes to climate change affects EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment in Indian country. OITA is in the process of summarizing vulnerability assessments that each EPA Region conducted, many of which included a separate vulnerability assessment of the Tribes in their Region. That summary will enhance and inform OITA's own vulnerability assessment. AIEO has also assessed vulnerabilities related to climate adaptation capacity building, which is directly applicable to the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP) that AIEO manages. Tribes generally have fewer resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural hazards, including those related to climate change. During a December 2021 listening session with Tribes, the most prevalent barriers to tribal climate adaptation work identified were related to funding, access to relevant data & information, and climate adaptation expertise. Priority Adaptation Actions The information below represents the specific actions AIEO plans to complete in FY2022 and FY2023, with some actions extending into FY2024. These actions support one or more of the priorities in EPA's Climate Adaptation Plan AIEO will update our plan with additional specific actions for FY2024-FY2026 in the coming years. A crucial part of developing future actions will be assessing the efficacy of previous actions, incorporating new information into the development of new actions, and input received from Tribes through consultation and engagement opportunities. The four priority actions for AIEO are: 1. Develop AIEO portion of OITA Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan 2. Align EPA climate efforts with Tribal treat Rights Memorandum of Understanding 3. Incorporate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Agency Decision-Making 4. Improve Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Development 1. Develop AIEO Portion of OITA Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan Page 2 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 The climate adaptation planning process is extremely important to ensure we spend our energy on actions that are meaningful and impactful to EPA, Tribes and other stakeholders. To that end, we are holding ourselves accountable to complete a number of steps that will help us achieve our planning goals. Agency-wide priorities addressed: This activity addresses EPA adaptation priority action areas 1, 2 & 4. Timeframe (in FY): FY2022 Performance Metric: Completion of below sub-actions and climate plan Sub-actions, measures & vulnerabilities: la) AIEO will complete two sub-actions in FY22 to contribute to the main action of developing the OITA climate adaption plan. The first is to host a Tribal listening session with other National Programs, specifically the Office of Water, the Office of Air and Radiation, the Office of Land and Emergency Management and the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, to engage with and receive input on climate priorities from tribal governments. We will consider this action accomplished when the listening session is completed. lb) The next action is to coordinate with OITA's Lead Region to co-host and streamline agency-wide consultation on draft National Program and Regional Climate Adaptation Plans. This effort will not only strengthen OITA's Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan, but it will inform the planning process for all EPA Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans. We will consider this action accomplished when all tribal consultations are completed. Co-benefits (if any): In addition to sharing EPA's climate adaptation priorities and actions, tribal engagement provides opportunities to learn more about tribal climate adaptation interests, mitigation needs and environmental justice concerns, and further inform the ongoing adaptation planning process. Resource Requirements: No new resources are required. 2. Improve Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Development AIEO is committed to improving Tribes' ability to build capacity to adapt to climate change. Tribal nations, communities and individuals experience a wide variety of impacts from climate change. As such, providing meaningful assistance towards building capacity to adapt to climate change will allow Tribes to tailor their environmental programs to meet the climate change adaption needs of their communities. Agency-wide priorities addressed: This activity addresses EPA adaptation priority action areas 1 & 2. Timeframe (in FY): FY2022-FY2023 Performance Metric: Completion of below sub-actions Sub-actions, measures & vulnerabilities: 2a) AIEO's primary means of assisting Tribes to build environmental capacity is through General Assistance Program (GAP) grants. Office of Policy (OP) has already identified the number of GAP-funded activities that climate adaptation in the agency-wide baselining efforts. Building upon this baselining effort, AIEO will communicate and amplify how GAP can be used for Tribal climate change adaptation needs. AIEO will consider this action Page 3 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 accomplished when the communication resources (e.g. fact sheets, training, etc.) are developed and deployed to GAP Project Officers and Tribes. The primary purpose of these communication resources is to highlight climate-related opportunities that are GAP-eligible. Measuring GAP-funded climate adaptation activities will continue in future years as part of OP's LTPG and AIEO aims to see a correlation between the amplification efforts and an increased use of GAP funds to address Tribal climate adaptation needs. Future actions will depend on the analysis of this measure. 2b) Another action AIEO will pursue is identifying opportunities for joint grant opportunities (such as BIA Tribal Resilience and GAP) to leverage resources and align work. AIEO will coordinate with WHCNAA to identify climate grant opportunities with other federal agencies and/or other EPA funding sources, find alignment, determine feasibility of joint grant solicitations and pursue viable solicitations. AIEO will measure this action by the number of solicitations that the office is able to produce. For FY23, AIEO is targeting one solicitation. If this action is successful, AIEO intends to pursue additional solicitations in future years. Co-benefits (if any): Assisting tribes in assessing vulnerabilities and developing climate adaptation needs and priorities may provide a co-benefit to tribal environmental justice concerns, including international indigenous communities. Resource Requirements: Additional Congressional appropriations to support EPA tribal climate adaptation programs and efforts, including GAP, may be needed to support collaboration and sufficiently fund Tribal climate adaptation needs while continuing to address tribal environmental capacity building. 3. Align EPA climate efforts with the Tribal Treaty Rights (TTR) Memorandum of Understanding (MOV) Under the Constitution, treaties with tribal nations are part of the supreme law of the land, establishing unique sets of rights, benefits and conditions for the treaty-making tribes who were forced to cede millions of acres of their homelands to the United States, in return for recognition of property rights in land and resources as well as federal protections. Tribal treaty rights have the same legal force and effect as federal statutes and they should be integrated into and given the fullest consideration throughout EPA's collective work. Reserved rights are the rights tribes retain that were not expressly granted to the United States by tribes in treaties. Treaty and reserved rights, including but not limited to the rights to hunt, fish and gather, may be found both on and off-reservation lands. Agencies should consider treaty and reserved rights in developing and implementing climate adaption plans in order to protect these rights and ensure the Agencies meet their legal and statutory obligations and other mission priorities as we work to combat the climate crisis. In September 2021, EPA joined 16 other federal agencies1 in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that committed those parties to identifying and protecting tribal treaty rights early in the decision-making and regulatory processes. Accordingly, EPA will consider 1 The MOU signatory agencies include DOI, USD A, DOJ, DOD, DOC, ED, DOE, DHS, HUD, DOL, DoS, DOT, VA, EPA, OPM, CEQ, and ACHP. Page 4 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 and protect treaty and reserved rights in developing and implementing climate adaptation plans through strengthened consultation, additional staff training and annual reporting requirements. Agency-wide priorities addressed: This activity addresses EPA adaptation priority action areas 1 & 2. Timeframe (in FY): FY2022-FY2024 Performance Metric: Completion of below sub-actions Sub-actions, measures & vulnerabilities: 3a) In order to align EPA climate efforts with the TTR MOU, AIEO plans to complete five sub-actions between FY22-FY24. The first is to provide guidance to Regions and Programs on how to identify and incorporate treaty and reserved rights early in climate adaptation implementation plans, consistent with TTR MOU. We will consider this action accomplished when guidance is provided. 3b) Another action is for AIEO to establish an understanding of the universe of EPA consultations that include climate actions and impact TTR. To date, this type of data collection or categorization has not been conducted, so AIEO is first committed to identifying a process for collecting or identifying information about consultation activities that include both Tribal Treaty Rights and climate actions. We will consider this action accomplished when the process has been identified and communicated. Future actions, such as identifying improvement opportunities and actions taken, will be dependent on this initial phase of data collection. One of the main sources of data AIEO will consider is existing data input into The Tribal Consultation Opportunity Tracking System (TCOTs). We will also utilize existing resources and processes to the extent possible, such as TPM meeting forums and the annual OMB reporting process. 3c & d) Another action AIEO will complete is to collaborate with other federal agencies through the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) Committee on identifying best practices and areas of collaboration for protecting treaty and reserved resources impacted by climate change. While collaboration is an ongoing activity, two deliverables that AIEO will track are a) completion of an inventory of federal agency climate adaptation plans with TTR included and b) best practices identified and delivered to relevant stakeholders. 3e) Another action that AIEO will complete is to train EPA staff on the use of the new Treaty Database in development by USDA to better identify treaty and reserved rights and resources. AIEO will consider this action accomplished with the training has been developed and delivered. Co-benefits (if any): This action will assist EPA to comply with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidance on the inclusion of TTR in climate adaptation plans and commitments of the TTR MOU. Resource Requirements: New resources (training materials, training expert, software, etc) may be needed dependent on the Treaty Database platform (Sub-action 3d). 4. Incorporate TEK (Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge) in Agency Decision Making Incorporating TEK into agency decision making is imperative to EPA's decision making because provides tribal environmental and cultural information that informs critical climate baseline and Page 5 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 historical data from unique and often unrepresented or absent indigenous perspectives In November 2021, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the CEQ jointly released a new memorandum that commits to elevating TEK in federal scientific and policy processes. The memorandum includes the creation an Interagency Working Group charged with initiating a process to develop government-wide guidance for Federal agencies on elevating TEK, with Tribal consultation, Native community engagement, as well as agency, expert, and public input. Agency-wide priority addressed: This activity addresses EPA adaptation priority action area 5. Timeframe (in FY): FY22-FY23 Performance Metric: Completion of below sub-actions Sub-actions, measures & vulnerabilities: 4a) In order to support the broader action of incorporating TEK in Agency Decision making, AIEO will complete two sub-actions between FY22-FY23. In coordination with Region 10, AIEO will lead the EPA's participation in the OSTP-CEQ-led TEK interagency working group. As participation is an ongoing activity, AIEO will measure success based on the completion of the TEK Guidance in FY22. 4b) After the TEK Guidance is produced, AIEO will develop and deploy TEK training to EPA staff in order to implement CEQ TEK Guidance. AIEO will consider this action accomplished when training is developed and delivered. Co-benefits (if any): Incorporating TEK in federal decision making, and particularly climate adaptation planning, is a priority for tribal governments and communities. Taking action will significantly advance our partnership with tribes in combatting the climate crisis locally. Additionally, with federal government guidance and training, a better understanding by EPA of TEK may benefit tribal environmental justice concerns, including international indigenous communities. Resource Requirements: No new resources are required for AIEO's contribution to the TEK interagency working group. New resources may be needed to develop TEK training to all EPA staff, depending on the guidance and its implementation directives, resources, etc. Aspirational Actions In addition to the above specific actions that AIEO is committing to in the near term, AIEO is considering a number of ideas for actions in FY24 and beyond. The ability to complete these actions will depend on resource availabilities, results of previous actions, etc. Including these aspirational actions in this plan will help AIEO focus on these potential opportunities in the future. AIEO recognizes that a critical aspect of assisting Tribes with climate adaptation work is making sure that resources and information are relevant and easy to find. Tribes have told EPA that the administrative burden of identifying where to locate certain pieces of information negatively impacts their ability to meet climate adaptation goals. AIEO would like to organize a centralized online location for a wide variety of climate adaptation resources, including funding sources, relevant data, technical assistance, training, etc. This is similar to EPA's Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center, ARC-X but would function as a tribally-focused resource center. Longer term, AIEO Page 6 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 would like to expand this concept to include resources from other federal agencies, potentially in cooperation with the WHCNAA Climate Adaptation Subcommittee. While AIEO's primary means of assisting Tribes is through GAP funding, AIEO is interested in looking for opportunities to partner with other federal agencies outside of GAP. For example, partnering with the Indian Health Service (IHS) to identify vulnerable water, wastewater, or solid waste infrastructure and then developing an action plan on how to address those vulnerabilities. This could include identifying available funding, developing best practices for adapting to the vulnerabilities, etc. There is also the possibility of looking for ways to address those vulnerabilities within GAP. EPA Office of Water is seeking to incorporate TEK in water quality monitoring projects, including TEK/tribal data layers in Hows My Waterway and ATTAINS reporting system. OITA is a partner in this effort, but may be more involved (e.g., through GAP leveraging and/or pilot projects) if additional resources, including FTE, are available. Training Plan for Enhancing Staff Knowledge About Climate Adaptation There are two planned trainings for EPA staff included in AIEO's implementation plan: TTR and consultation, Tribal Treaty database, and TEK. In addition to the below trainings that AIEO is developing for EPA staff, OITA is also committing its own staff to take Climate Adaptation 101 training that is currently being provided by EPA's Office of Policy. This introductory training will ensure that all of OITA's own staff have baseline knowledge about climate adaptation, which will further enable OITA's staff to more fully consider climate adaptation in all programmatic work. 1) AIEO will lead (in cooperation with USD A) efforts to train EPA staff on the use of the new Treaty Database in development by USDA to better identify treaty and reserved rights and resources. The purpose of this database is not only as a repository of Tribal treaties, but it will also increase understanding of Tribal treaties and how they should be implemented and considered. As EPA staff become more aware of Tribal treaty and reserved rights, they can better incorporate their provisions and protections in Agency decision making. AIEO's training plan will align with the roll out of the USDA database and is anticipated to rely heavily on training resources developed by USDA. The training audience will be all EPA staff. 2) In coordination with RIO, AIEO will develop and deploy TEK training to implement the CEQ TEK Guidance. The guidance and resultant training will focus on TEK (what it is) and how to incorporate it into agency decision making, especially climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. This training will build upon existing RIO training, and rely on forthcoming guidance from the CEQ, an effort with which AIEO is involved. The training audience will be all EPA staff. Science Needs AIEO has identified several science needs that would benefit our office and our tribal partners. At a procedural level, AIEO is focused on helping the Agency better incorporate TEK in Page 7 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 decision making, which means elevating TEK in EPA science processes. More information on what this means for EPA science needs will be available after the CEQ TEK Guidance is complete; AIEO will revisit science needs and update this section at that time. EPA tribal partners have identified data accessibility as a primary need for identifying and addressing climate adaptation vulnerabilities and priorities. For our Tribal partners, it is important that our science data can be filtered and targeted to Tribal geographic areas - state wide data may not be relevant to their location, landscapes, and traditional uses. Related to targeted Tribal data, it is important EPA considers Tribal-specific projections of climate impacts. It is also important to make sure EPA's science is easily accessible to our Tribal partners and that there is sufficient technical assistance and expertise available to tribes in using adaptation tools and interpreting the data. Page 8 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 Office of International Affairs Adaptation Implementation Plan Climate Vulnerability Assessment From OIA's perspective the one of the most serious threats to the Agency that might adversely impact our work on climate adaptation would be something like an office- agency- or government-wide ransom-ware attack that could compromise agency and government-wide systems, functionality and databases. In addition, the steady diminution of administrative capacity, the steady loss of FTE's, outdated equipment and security measures, collectively pose a growing risk to the EPA and the federal government capacity to effectively provide climate and related services and fulfill its mission, especially in response to an existential crisis on the scale of climate change. Left inadequately addressed, these collective and inter-related challenges could ultimately erode public and partner confidence and trust not only in EPA's ability to fulfill its mission but in the government's ability to provide effective and timely services. From the perspective of our international partner governments, communities and organizations, given the global reach of OIA, we anticipate that in aggregate, these entities will experience the full range of climate impacts. In addition, given that a significant number of our partner governments and communities reside in countries and cities in the Global South, the issue of societal inequities will remain prominent. In the specific instance of our Arctic country partners and communities there is little doubt that the climate challenges, vulnerabilities and opportunities in those countries will arise largely from phenomena such as permafrost melt, thinning and loss of sea ice, melting of glaciers, sea level rise, accelerated regional land and ocean warming, enhanced drying, increased forest fires and the breakdown of Arctic ecosystems and loss of habitat and food sources (5 and 6). Permafrost melt in particular poses serious challenges to infrastructure and road systems jeopardizing the delivery of basic services and disruption in the transport of goods and supply chains. Forced migration is an issue that some communities have already experienced. In the specific instance of international trade, it seems clear that climate change is already disrupting global trade, trade routes and supply chains and the cost of goods and services. Anticipated climate changes will no doubt pose additional and persistent challenges. Priority Adaptation Actions The following OIA priority adaptation actions will be implemented provided that sufficient resources continue to be made available. OIA's priority activity is that of providing technical and policy training on a range of environmental governance issues to international partners and national and sub-national governments for the purposes of helping our partners establish effective and equitable environmental governance practices that result in effective policies that in turn, result in desirable environment and societal outcomes. Page 9 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 1. Climate Environmental Governance: Deployment of Adaptation Capacity Building Tools 1) Deployment of Adaptation Capacity Building Tools - OIA's commitment to the provision of trainings on various aspects of environmental governance presents opportunities to offer training and capacity building related to climate literacy, climate risk, resilience, and climate adaptation, especially to partners in developing countries. More specifically, OIA will seek to educate and train international partners on the use of two powerful sub-national capacity building tools, EPA's ARC-X (Climate Adaptation Resource Center - see https://www.epa.gov/arc-x) toolkit and EPIC (Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities - see https://www.epicn.org/), a tool/framework for creating local government-university partnerships that bring the full range of university knowledge and expertise to the service of local governments and communities. EPIC partnerships are locally led, demand-driven, action- oriented partnerships that enhance the capacity of local governments and communities to adapt, build resilience and develop more sustainably. Partners in this activity include but are not limited to the EPA Office of Policy, the UN Global Adaptation Network (GAN), the EPIC Network (EPIC-N) Secretariat, ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the International START (System for Analysis, Research and Training) program. 2) Co-Benefits - Use of these tools is designed to bring about a range of actions from climate adaptation and mitigation to more sustainable development, and making progress on the full range of SDGs, including addressing issues of equity and environmental justice. 3) Agency-wide priorities addressed - This activity addresses all 5 EPA climate adaptation priorities but especially priorities 1, 2, 4 and 5 (See text box and ref. 4). 4) Lead Organization - This activity will be led by the policy and bilateral sides of OIA. 5) Timeframe - This work is already underway and is slated to continue through the 2022- 2026 timeframe and beyond, pending ample resources are available. However, trainings and subsequent actions taken by OIA international partners as a direct consequence of these trainings, will be well documented. See section on metrics. 6) Performance Metrics - Short- and long-term metrics include the number and name of states, tribes and international partners (national and sub-national) who request information and/or training or technical assistance on climate adaptation, resilience and sustainability, as well as training on capacity building tools such as ARC-X and EPIC. This would also include the number of international trainings on OP's climate adaptation modules. In addition, in May 2021, 11 Asian cities were awarded small grants to implement the EPIC model to work on adaptation, resilience and sustainability actions that benefit their respective cities/communities. OIA's metrics will include updates on actions, outputs and outcomes resulting from implementing the EPIC model in these 11 Asian cities. Lastly, OIA will also examine the feasibility of developing metrics on policies implemented as a consequence of these trainings as well as accounts of any actions or outcomes resulting from the implementation of those policies. Page 10 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 7) Resource Requirements - There are very few if any resources for this activity at the moment. Resources for this activity have thus far come almost exclusively from outside partners such as the GAN, NSF, START, and the EPIC Secretariat, with in-kind support from ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) and OIA in the form of services and FTEs. Despite OIA having played a lead role in creating an international partnership to introduce the EPIC model to local governments and universities internationally in various parts of Africa and Asia to date, the lack of sufficient EPA resource for this activity to date leaves OIA with a weaker hand in directing where future trainings on the tool will take place as well as the selection of trainees. 8) EPA funding for this activity would provide OIA with more leverage to play a lead role in directing future trainings on the use and implementation of the EPIC tool which requires dedicated training on the use and implementation of the tool to realize its full benefits. More FTEs would also help. 9) Resources for this activity have thus far come almost exclusively, from outside partners such as the GAN, NSF, START, and the EPIC Secretariat, with in-kind support from ICLEI and OIA to identify partners and facilitate the delivery of the training. There are no extramural resources for these activities which impacts the pace of implementation. 2. Strengthening Capacity to Address Climate in Arctic Communities Strengthening Capacity to Address Climate in Arctic Communities: Working through the Arctic Council Arctic Contaminants Action Programme (ACAP) and its Expert Groups on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SCLPs) and the Indigenous Peoples Contaminants Action Programme (IPCAP) along with some funding from the Arctic Council's Project Support Instrument (PSI), OIA will continue to support ongoing projects to strengthen the capacity of remote and indigenous Arctic communities in responding to climate change. In addition, OIA will promote the needs of these communities in the Arctic Executive Steering Committee (AESC) run by the White House and other Administration priority processes. At present, there are two ACAP projects underway that are led by indigenous arctic communities, one with funding from the PSI. They are the Community- based Black Carbon Health Assessment and a forthcoming project on wildfire management co-led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Aleut International Association with USG expert cooperation. These projects both have scope for mitigation and resilience activities. Lastly, the Circumpolar Local Environmental Observer (CLEO) project received funding from EPA to help its launch and then support from ACAP to expand it to additional arctic communities. While the project has been completed, we are still examining ways to promote sharing of this tool and its capabilities to share traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) among indigenous arctic communities in the US and other arctic countries. Co-benefits: Co-development and use of these tools will foster greater understanding of and ability to address and reduce human exposure to black carbon and other short-lived climate pollutants, the lessons of which can be transferred to projects that address other contaminants and resilience in remote Arctic communities. Page 11 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 Agency-wide priorities addressed - This activity addresses all 5 EPA climate adaptation priorities but especially priorities 1, 2, 4 and 5 (See text box and ref 4). Lead Organization - This activity will be led by the policy and bilateral sides of OIA with input, as appropriate, from AIEO and Region 10. Timeframe: At least one project is slated to run from 2021-2023. We anticipate the results can be evaluated in 2023. The timeline for additional activities is still under development. Performance Metrics: Short-term metrics would include the number of training activities conducted, countries/regions/tribes engaged, communities engaged, and number of individuals trained. Longer-term metrics are under discussion but could include looking at whether the project is sustained by project partners, e.g. the number of interventions made by trained partners after a project is completed. Resource Requirements: OIA provides in-kind expertise to these activities, there are no extramural resources. 3. International Mitigation, Adaption, and Resilience: Economic Instruments for Climate- Friendly Trade and Public Infrastructure Investment 10) OIA contributes to the implementation of the climate finance plan, identified in Section 102(f) of Executive Order 14008, by providing expertise for incorporating the overall costs of greenhouse gas emissions in the analysis of proposals for public investment in energy-intensive projects overseas. This action has three sub-actions: (1) To gain inter- agency agreement on including the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions in the methodology to be used by Federal agencies for the analysis of alternatives to investing international assistance in projects that prolong reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure for economic development; (2) To provide compelling environmental and economic reasons for international financial institutions to incorporate comparable methodologies as safeguards against reckless investments and as guidance for development strategies that are consistent with international climate policy objectives; and (3) To encourage global consensus on the use, by private companies, of voluntary standards for the production and trade in products that conform to responsible business practices validated by reliable certification systems. These standards, such as adopted by ISO, may have global applicability to private enterprises, or may be recommendations by multilateral organizations (such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD) for use by member governments. While efforts to date have largely focused on greenhouse gas mitigation, activities could include promoting resilience in lending safeguards to ensure that infrastructure investments funded by the United States are built to withstand climate change. 11) Co-Benefits - These actions also support the objectives of other initiatives, led by the National Security Council, such as Build Back Better World (B3W) in collaboration with G-7 countries, the US-EU Trade and Technology Council that was a result of the June 2021 Summit between President Biden and European Union leaders, and the International Page 12 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 Energy Engagement Guidance. Issues of equity and environmental justice are also addressed by incorporating the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilience into trade and investment decision making. 12) Agency-wide priorities addressed - This activity addresses all 5 EPA climate adaptation priorities but especially priorities 1, 2, 4 and 5 (See text box and ref. 4). 13) Lead Organization - This activity is led by OIA, in consultation with OAR and OP 14) Timeframe - This work is already underway with a modest level of technical expertise and staff time. It is anticipated the timeframe will continue through the anticipated term of this Plan, 2022-2026. Performance Metrics - Short-term metric is to count the number of interventions made by EPA to promote inclusion of the social cost of carbon or climate resiliency in investment guidelines for USG overseas development assistance, responsible business practices or standards. Longer term metrics are under consideration but may include evidence that projects are sustained by project partners and requiring that development assistance is predicated at least in part on evidence of enhancing climate resilience as well as evidence of factoring the social cost of carbon as a pre-condition. 15) Resource Requirements - Within available resources, OIA provides a modest level of technical expertise to these activities. There are no extramural resources. EPA Adaptation Priorities 1. Integrate climate adaptation into EPA programs, policies, rulemaking processes, and enforcement activities. 2. Consult and partner with states, tribes, territories, local governments, environmental justice organizations, community groups, businesses, and other federal agencies to strengthen adaptive capacity and increase the resilience of the nation, with a particular focus on advancing environmental justice. 3. Implement measures to protect the agency's workforce, facilities, critical infrastructure, supply chains, and procurement processes from the risks posed by climate change. 4. Measure and evaluate performance. 5. Identify and address climate adaptation science needs Training Plan for Enhancing Staff Knowledge About Climate Adaptation OIA plans to host or facilitate 1 or so trainings per year on various aspects of climate adaptation and resilience as needed or desired, beginning in 2022. These trainings will specifically draw upon the climate and sustainability webinars hosted by the White House, the National Academy of Sciences and other institutions respected for their expertise in climate and climate-related matters. In addition, OIA will make use of climate Page 13 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 modules from various offices within EPA such as the Office of Policy's climate adaptation module currently under revision. OIA will also seek out briefings from leaders and authors of the UN IPCC WGII 6th Assessment Report (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability) due to be released in February 2022. The IPCC WG II briefing will likely be of especial relevance to OIA's regional interests and equities around the globe. OIA will also occasionally reach out to other climate and climate-related experts, as needed or desired, to brief OIA staff on specific aspects of climate of particular interest to all or parts of OIA such as finance and trade-related aspects of climate adaptation and resilience, or the implications of climate impacts in the Arctic or parts of Asia or Latin America. Finally, OIA will also continue to explore the nexus between climate adaptation, resilience and sustainability, and the issues of equity, environmental justice and underserved populations, especially among OIA's partners in the Global South. Science Needs OIA-specific science needs to assess climate impacts and build resilience on behalf of ourselves and our international partners might include training on the use of risk assessment tools and regionally sensitive climate projections. However, such trainings are likely to warrant additional FTEs to enhance climate competence within OIA as risk assessment tools and climate projections typically necessitate specialized expertise and skills. References 1. UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, 2018, Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2019/goal-ll/; UN IPCC WG II Assessment Report 5, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Chapter 8, Cities, 2014; 2. Sahir, Jamal; 2018, Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Center for Strategic and International Studies. 3. White House Executive Order 14008, 2021, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential- actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/. 4. US Environmental Protection Agency Climate Adaptation Action Plan, 2021, https://www.epa.gOv/system/files/documents/2021-09/epa-climate-adaptation-plan-pdf- version.pdf. 5. UN IPCC, 2021: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Pean, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelek<;i, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.). Cambridge University Press. Page 14 of 15 ------- Deliberative Draft - Not for General Distribution May 16, 2022 6. UN IPCC WGII Assessment Report 5, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Summary for Policymakers, 2014. Page 15 of 15 ------- |