Summary

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the adequacy of coordination and extent of federal agencies' participation in encouraging an international response to the problem of global climate change.

GAO found that: (1) the administration did not establish a coordinated national policy to guide federal efforts related to global climate change; (2) the President did not designate any individual or agency to assume overall leadership or management responsibility for global climate change activities; (3) in the absence of executive direction, agencies conducted climate change research activities without effective central and strategic planning and without full use of existing policy structures and resources; and (4) despite indications that it was ready to act and give high priority to the global warming threat, the administration has continued to emphasize the need for further research and has not agreed to specific targets and timetables for reducing and controlling greenhouse gas emissions.