Pennsylvania Climate Change Impacts Assessment Update

Posted by Department of Environmental Protection on May 19, 2020

Pennsylvania Climate Change Impacts Assessment Update
April 2020

The Pennsylvania Climate Change Act (PCCA), Act 70 of 2008, directed Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a study of the potential impacts of global climate change on Pennsylvania over the next century and to prepare periodic updates. The first study was issued by DEP in 2009. It was prepared by a team of researchers at the Pennsylvania State University and presented to DEP in two reports: Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment (Shortle et al., 2009), and Economic Impacts of Projected Climate Change in Pennsylvania (Abler et al. 2009). Updates were issued 2013 and 2015. This report is the third update. Like the first report and subsequent updates, this report has been prepared by a team of topic experts from Penn State University.

Prior reports have summarized research on Pennsylvania’s climate future with global climate change. These reports have also assessed the impacts of climate change on climate-sensitive sectors in Pennsylvania, including agriculture, energy, forests, human health, outdoor recreation, water and aquatic resources. This has been a standard format for national and regional assessments. However, current expectations about Pennsylvania’s projected future climate remain as presented in the 2015 report. Similarly, general expectations about climate change impacts on Pennsylvania’s climate sensitive sectors remain largely as presented in the 2015 report.

Download and read the full report here: http://files.dep.state.pa.us/Energy/Office%20of%20Energy%20and%20Technology/OETDPortalFiles/ClimateChange/2020ClimateChangeImpactsAssessmentUpdate.pdf

Read highlights here: https://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/climate/Pages/impacts.aspx