Appendix C. Statement of Task
An ad hoc committee will conduct a review of the draft Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4), concurrent with the public comment period. The review will address the following questions about the draft report:
- Does the report meet the requirements of Section 106 of the Global Change Research Act?
- Do the key messages reflect current understanding about observed and projected impacts to the United States, the challenges, opportunities and success stories for addressing risk, and identification of emerging issues related to climate change?
- Does the report accurately reflect the peer-reviewed scientific literature, with a particular focus on literature since the last National Climate Assessment (i.e., since ~2013)? Are there any critical content areas missing from the report?
- Are the findings documented in a consistent, transparent and credible way?
- Is the report written at a technical level that is appropriate for the intended audience?
- Are the report’s key messages and graphics clear, internally consistent, and appropriate? Specifically, do they reflect supporting evidence, include an assessment of likelihood, and communicate effectively?
- Are the data and analyses handled in a consistent, transparent, and credible manner? Are statistical methods applied appropriately?
- What other significant improvements, if any, might be made in the document?