Background: There are two primary approaches for addressing climate change: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation includes strategies such as reducing the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration. Adaptation and preparation includes activities to maintain natural and human systems under climate stress.

The impacts of climate change vary by location. For instance, the U.S. Southwest may experience greater drought and higher temperatures, whereas in many other regions there may be increased precipitation. The Northwest is projected to have more winter flooding and reduced summer stream flows, which would impact irrigation, fish, and hydropower. Decreased water availability may bring drought conditions that would exacerbate forest fire hazards, extend the fire season, and increase fire danger in areas already subject to fires. The impacts of climate change may also affect businesses and local economies. Farming, forestry, water resources, tourism, and transportation could suffer losses. The National Conference of Legislatures states that climate change may be costly to states, which will vary depending on the sectors that the state relies upon.

Executive Order 0-02, Washington Climate Change Challenge, directed the Departments of Ecology (Ecology) and Community, Trade & Economic Development (CTED) to develop recommendations for specific steps that should be taken to prepare for the impact of climate change and to propose strategies for climate change preparation and adaptation. Through the Climate Action Team (CAT), the Preparation and Adaptation Working Groups (PAWGs) were formed. The PAWGs were structured around five sectors: agriculture, forestry resources, human health, water resources and quality, and coastal infrastructure. The PAWGs began an initial assessment of opportunities to prepare and adapt to climate change. They identified several recurring themes including that early actions are needed while scientific knowledge is improved; impact of climate change on water resources has broad economic consequences; there are biological and social implications across all sectors; there is a need to restore and maintain ecosystems; preparation and adaptation activities must recognize the variability of potential impacts of climate change on sectors and geographic areas within the state; some populations are affected disproportionately; and preparation and adaptation is costly. The CAT scope of work in 2008 did not include further development of recommendations for preparation and adaptation. However, the CAT recommends that efforts should be renewed and include a coordinated multi-agency and sector effort to provide tools, resources, and information to governments, businesses, and citizens. These tools, resources, and information are necessary to make informed planning decisions, to protect and restore natural systems, and to adjust the provision of basic services as necessary due to climate change.

Summary of Bill: Ecology must assemble a Climate Change Impacts Coordinating Team (team). The team must include representatives from various state agencies with expertise about the impacts of climate change. In addition, Ecology must invite representatives from local governments, nongovernmental organizations, public and private businesses, tribes, and federal agencies. The team serves as the central clearinghouse for scientific and technical information about the impacts of climate change to the economy, environment, and society.

The team must develop an integrated climate change response strategy for state and local entities, public and private businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals to prepare for and to adapt and address the impacts of climate change. The team must develop a strategy with prioritized and coordinated preparation and adaptation activities to assist with planning and preparing for the impacts of climate change. The strategy should address the impact of climate change, adaptation to climate change, as well as the regional capacity to undertake climate change preparation and adaptation activities, existing ecosystem and resource management issues, and health and economic risks. The strategy must summarize the best known science on climate change impacts to the state, assess the state's vulnerability to identified climate change impacts, prioritize solutions, and identify recommended funding mechanisms.

The team may seek assistance from a science advisory group, the State Climatologist, or designate other technical advisory groups as it feels necessary. The science advisory group must provide independent, nonrepresentational scientific advice to the team. The initial chair is the State Climatologist. The team must request the Washington Academy of Sciences to provide a list of candidates for membership to the science advisory group to the chair of the group. The chair may also seek advice from the scientific community to develop membership for the science advisory group.

State agencies should incorporate adaptation plans of action as priority activities when developing agency policies or programs. Agencies must consider the strategy when designing, planning, and funding infrastructure projects; and must consider incorporating natural resource adaptation actions and alternative energy sources when designing and planning infrastructure projects.

The Office of the State Climatologist is created within the University of Washington.