The White House has taken a significant step to end a federal program that has been central to U.S. climate policy for decades. On Wednesday, sources confirmed that the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which was established by Congress in 1990, will be eliminated. This program has received billions of dollars for climate change research and is known for producing the National Climate Assessment, a key report that informs government actions related to climate change.
The decision comes just days after an investigation by The Daily Wire highlighted how USGCRP allocates its funding. One major point of contention was a contract with the consulting firm ICF, which has been involved in the creation of the National Climate Assessment. The cancellation of this contract is seen as a critical blow to ongoing climate research efforts. Politico reported that without ICF’s support, the ability to conduct climate change work across various government agencies has been severely impacted.
The Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy worked with the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency to finalize this decision. As a result, there are no plans for another National Climate Assessment, which was expected to be released in 2026.
Critics of ICF have raised concerns about the firm’s influence over the USGCRP, claiming that its reports often focus on extreme scenarios that may not accurately reflect reality. An administration source pointed out that the information produced by ICF lacked quality and did not meet legal standards for decision-making.
Former contributors to the National Climate Assessment have echoed these concerns, suggesting that ICF has had too much control over the research agenda. They argue that the firm’s dominance in staffing has skewed the narrative presented by the federal government on climate issues.
The Daily Wire uncovered that a NASA contract with ICF was set to provide more than $10 million for continued work on climate assessments. The contract, initially announced in June 2021, was part of a larger $34 million agreement. However, with the cancellation, the remaining funds will no longer be disbursed.
Russell Vought, who leads the Office of Management and Budget, has long criticized the USGCRP and its reports. He has called for investigations into the political biases of the contractors involved in climate research.
While ICF and USGCRP did not respond to requests for comment, some experts see the cancellation of the contract as a positive move. Houston Keene, a government transparency advocate, stated that it is a step toward restoring integrity in government climate science. However, he cautioned that there may still be more issues to uncover within the climate research landscape.