Governor Palin signs Administrative Order 238 creating the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet on September 14, 2007. The Sub-Cabinet advises the Office of the Governor on the preparation and implementation of an Alaska climate change strategy.
Click here to read Administrative Order 238.		Click the above photo to read the Governor's Report on the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet (July 2008)

	"My hope is the Climate Change Strategy will be a living document reflecting the best knowledge on the effects of climate change in Alaska. It will be of great use to Alaskans by conveying state plans for adaptation to warming as well as presenting realistic approaches to mitigating the root causes of climate change."
Larry Hartig, Chair, Executive Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change

Climate Change News:

August 27, 2008: The Immediate Action Workgroup will hold a public meeting from 1 - 4 pm in Anchorage. See the IAW webpage for the agenda and details.

June 30, 2008: The Sub-Cabinet met in Anchorage. See the Sub-Cabinet meeting page for the agenda and documents discussed at the meeting.

May 2008: The Sub-Cabinet selected more than 100 Alaskans in April to help craft the State's Climate Change Strategy. For the latest stakeholder information, please use the following links (also listed on the right sidebar):

• Advisory Groups - main advisory group website for Alaska with schedules, background, and links
• Adaptation Advisory Group - members, meeting documents; and Technical Work Groups, members, and meeting documents
• Mitigation Advisory Group - members, meeting documents; and Technical Work Groups, members, and meeting documents

The Advisory Groups will meet in Anchorage on the following dates:

• Mitigation Advisory Group: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
• Adaptation Advisory Group: Monday, September 22, 2008

Alaska's Perspective

The impacts of climate warming in Alaska are already occurring. These impacts include coastal erosion, increased storm effects, sea ice retreat and permafrost melt. The villages of Shishmaref, Kivalina, and Newtok have already begun relocation plans. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified over 160 additional rural communities threatened by erosion. Click here to see photographs of some of the Alaska climate change issues.

The unique task of the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet is to appropriately attend to these immediate needs.

The Climate Change Sub-Cabinet

On September 14, 2007, Governor Sarah Palin signed Administrative Order No. 238, officially forming the Alaska Climate Change Sub-Cabinet (see Press Release). The Sub-Cabinet is charged with preparing and implementing an Alaska Climate Change Strategy. This will be a transparent document which deals with state policies for anticipated climate change.

• Building the state's knowledge of the actual and foreseeable effects of climate warming in Alaska
• Developing appropriate measures and policies to prepare communities in Alaska for the anticipated impacts from climate change
• Providing guidance regarding Alaska's participation in regional and national efforts addressing causes and effects of climate change

On September 21, 2007, Governor Palin signed on as an Observer to the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). The WCI is a collaboration launched in February 2007 between the Governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington to meet regional challenges raised by climate change. Other States and Canadian Provinces have joined, some as partners, some as observers.