OMB has called attention to a requirement to ensure that funding requests in support of federal facilities align with the administration’s climate preparedness and resilience goalsin the latest version of Circular A-11, the general budget guidance and technical instruction to agencies on how to prepare, submit and execute the budget.
In a blog post, OMB associate director for natural resources Ali Zaidi noted that OMB is asking all agencies to consider climate preparedness and resiliency objectives as part of their 2017 budget requests for construction and maintenance of facilities.
“We are making it very clear that this is a priority in proposals for capital funding. Why? Because making our federal facility investments climate-smart reduces our fiscal exposure to the impacts of climate change. It’s the right thing to do to run an efficient and effective government. And it’s the right thing to do to return the highest value to the American taxpayer,” the posting said.
The emphasis will help agencies better protect their real estate portfolios from climate-related extreme weather events, it said, noting that the National Park Service has identified more than $40 billion in national park infrastructure and historic and cultural resources potentially at risk from sea level rise.