The National Climate Assessment (NCA) website, hosted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) at globalchange.gov, went offline on June 30, 2025, along with all associated reports, including the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) released in November 2023. This development has raised significant concerns among scientists, policymakers, and the public due to the NCA’s role as the U.S. government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses, mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. Below is a detailed breakdown of the situation, its implications, and where to access the information, based on available sources.
What Happened?
- Website Shutdown: On June 30, 2025, the USGCRP website (globalchange.gov) and its hosted NCA reports became inaccessible, displaying no links, notes, or redirects to alternative sources. An archived version of the site confirms it was active as of June 29, 2025.
- Context of Removal: The shutdown aligns with actions by the Trump administration, which has targeted climate-related programs. In April 2025, the administration dismissed approximately 400 volunteer scientists and experts working on the Sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA6), stating the report’s scope was “being re-evaluated.” The USGCRP’s contract with ICF International, which provided technical support, was also terminated.
- Related Climate Data Disruptions: The NOAA-operated climate.gov website, a key source of public climate information, also ceased publishing new content after its entire content team was laid off by May 31, 2025. The site now redirects to a stripped-down NOAA climate landing page, with content like climate stripes removed.
Why Did the Website Go Dark?
- Administrative Actions: The Trump administration’s “Gold Standard Science” Executive Order (EO 14303) and related policies have led to significant cuts in climate programs. The USGCRP, which coordinates the NCA, was effectively dismantled in April 2025 by removing federal employees and ending its contract with ICF International.
- Political Motivation: Critics, including former staff and scientists, suggest the website’s removal is part of a deliberate effort to suppress climate science. The Trump administration has historically downplayed climate change risks, with actions like releasing the 2018 NCA on Black Friday to minimize attention. Project 2025, a policy blueprint influencing Trump’s agenda, called for reshaping the USGCRP and NCA to scrutinize contributors and potentially downplay climate impacts.
- Budget and Personnel Cuts: The administration has fired thousands of employees at agencies like NOAA, NASA, and the EPA, terminated climate-related grants, and proposed budget cuts to federal research programs. These actions have disrupted climate data infrastructure, including the NCA and regional climate centers.
Implications
- Loss of Access to Critical Information: The NCA is the most comprehensive, peer-reviewed source of U.S.-specific climate data, detailing impacts on health, agriculture, infrastructure, and more. Its searchable atlas allowed users to explore localized effects (e.g., sea level rise, wildfire risks). Its removal hinders state and local governments, farmers, city planners, and citizens who rely on it for decision-making.
- Legal Concerns: The NCA is mandated by Congress under the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to be produced every four years and remain digitally accessible as a “Highly Influential Scientific Assessment.” The website’s deletion could violate these requirements, potentially prompting legal challenges, as seen in 2008 when a lawsuit forced the Bush administration to release a delayed NCA.
- Scientific Community Backlash: Climate scientists like Katharine Hayhoe have criticized the move, noting the reports’ legal mandate and their role in saving lives and money through informed planning. The loss of data is seen as “blinding the country” to climate impacts.
- Public Sentiment on X: Posts on X reflect polarized reactions. Some, like @ClimateRealists, celebrated the shutdown of climate.gov as ending a “shrine to climate alarmism,” while others, like @deepseadawn, lamented the loss of critical data and shared alternative access points.
Where to Access NCA Reports Now
While the official globalchange.gov site is down, the NCA reports remain available through alternative sources:
- NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI): NOAA is archiving NCA5 and plans to make it available at ncei.noaa.gov after security scans, though the site is not yet searchable like the original.
- NASA: NASA has committed to hosting all five NCA editions (2000, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2023), but the website is not yet live. Contact NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens for updates.
- Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine: An archived version of the NCA5 website, including its interactive atlas, is accessible at archive.org.
- Esri Servers: The NCA5 interactive atlas and StoryMap are hosted by Esri at links shared by @deepseadawn: arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer and storymaps.arcgis.com.
- PDF Downloads: Official PDFs of past NCAs (e.g., NCA4 Vol. I and II, NCA5) can be found on academic or third-party sites, such as nca2018.globalchange.gov for the 2018 report.
What’s Next for the NCA?
- Uncertainty for NCA6: The dismissal of NCA6 contributors and the USGCRP’s review leave the report’s future, due in 2028, in doubt. Some fear the administration may produce a version that downplays climate risks or contradicts established science.
- Potential Legal Action: The NCA’s mandated accessibility could lead to lawsuits if the administration fails to restore access or produce future reports.
- NOAA’s Role: NOAA, the administrative agency for the NCA, has not clarified why the site went dark but emphasized its commitment to climate data. Redirects from climate.gov to noaa.gov/climate suggest some content may be restored, though with reduced functionality.
Conclusion
The National Climate Assessment website’s shutdown on June 30, 2025, reflects broader Trump administration efforts to curtail climate science, including staff layoffs, contract terminations, and program cuts. This move, potentially violating congressional mandates, limits access to critical climate data, impacting decision-making across sectors. While archived versions and alternative hosting (e.g., NOAA, NASA, Esri) provide temporary access, the loss of the interactive, user-friendly platform is a significant setback. Scientists and advocates are calling for transparency and legal action to restore the NCA’s accessibility. For now, users can access NCA5 through Esri’s atlas (arcgis.com), the Wayback Machine, or forthcoming NOAA and NASA archives. Monitor noaa.gov, nasa.gov, or posts on X for updates.