Abstract

When President Obama signed Executive Order 13653, he committed “to prepare the nation for the impacts of climate change by undertaking actions to enhance climate preparedness and resilience.” Given our mission to protect the nation’s health and well-being, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) considers climate change to be one of the top public health challenges of our time.

This Adaptation Plan confirms HHS’s commitment to preparing for the challenges posed by climate change. HHS is committed to leading the way on implementation of sustainable operations, promoting climate-resilient health and human services, and supporting scientific research focused on the effects of climate change on human health and well-being, as well as effective risk reduction and adaptation measures.

HHS understands that the health and well-being of people depends in part on healthy and sustainable environments, both natural and man-made. HHS is committed to taking a leadership role in researching and communicating the relationship between the health of our citizens and the health of our environment. Through our past accomplishments and future commitments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will lead the way toward a healthy future for all Americans.