ORNL is taking an integrated and proactive approach to including sustainability efforts and climate change resiliency into the operational planning process. The Climate Change Resiliency (CCR) Roadmap is an important part of the SCI Roadmaps Projects Structure. This roadmap includes the ORNL CCR team, which was chartered in FY 2014. The team includes representatives from F&O and research programs to ensure continued collaboration and focus on the climate change topic between operations and scientific research staff. Members represent F&O senior management, site strategic planning, environmental management, natural resources, SCI, and the deputy director for the Climate Change Science Institute (CCSI) at ORNL. The roadmap owners and the CCR team held annual work sessions to review climate change risk elements and event categories and their potential impacts to critical missions and operations while considering our specific geographic location and associated potential risk for climate change events.
ORNL is committed to the incorporation of climate-resilient design and management elements into the planning process and to determine the specific risks and level of resiliency required.
Planning steps for future activities include the following:
- continue to develop knowledge of the impacts of climate change risks and their effects on ORNL,
- apply this knowledge to missions and operations,
- develop and prioritize actions based on site-specific risks and threats,
- build awareness and improve skills to respond to potential events, and
- apply climate change best practices into the facilities planning process and the design of new agency buildings.
The updated ORNL Climate Change Resilience Risk Table is included below. The CCR team will continue to review and update the table annually as conditions change and as best practice procedures are identified.