Establishment of the Climate Change Support Office
Establishes a temporary Climate Change Support Office within the Department of State to coordinate and expand U.S. diplomatic engagement on the global climate crisis, consistent with the broader climate agenda set out in an earlier 2021 executive order.
Creates an office to back the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and extend U.S. climate leadership across a wider range of international forums than the State Department currently covers.
What this order does
What it orders
The order establishes the Climate Change Support Office (CCSO) as a temporary organization inside the Department of State, headed by a Director chosen by the Secretary of State. The CCSO is directed to support bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagement on climate change, assist the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, integrate climate considerations into all U.S. foreign policy decisions, and extend the department's climate work into international forums covering clean energy, aviation, shipping, the Arctic, the ocean, sustainable development, and migration.
The office is explicitly temporary, set to terminate at the end of the maximum period allowed under 5 U.S.C. § 3161(a)(1) unless the Secretary of State ends it sooner. The order does not itself create enforceable rights or benefits, and implementation is subject to available appropriations.
Who it affects
The Department of State and its staff who will work with or through the CCSO, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, other federal agencies involved in international climate diplomacy, and foreign governments and international bodies engaged by U.S. climate negotiators.
Why it matters
The CCSO concentrates dedicated staffing and organizational authority behind U.S. international climate diplomacy, meaning foreign governments and international bodies will face a more coordinated U.S. presence across a broader set of climate-related forums — from shipping and aviation to Arctic policy.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The Secretary of State selects the CCSO Director and sets staffing levels. The office operates under the temporary-organization authority of 5 U.S.C. § 3161, which caps its lifespan by statute. Day-to-day, the CCSO supports the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and coordinates with other agencies. The Secretary retains authority to assign additional functions and to terminate the office early. The order has no independent enforcement mechanism; it relies on existing departmental authority and appropriated funds.
Actions and deadlines
- Establish the Climate Change Support Office with a Director and appropriate staff
- Terminate the CCSO at the end of the maximum period permitted under 5 U.S.C. § 3161(a)(1)