DOT Climate Change Center
About
Since 1999, the DOT Climate Change Center has led policy, research, and action across the US Department of Transportation to address the nation’s most pressing challenges on climate change and transportation. On this page you will find information on climate change related activities across the US Department of Transportation. More about the Center.
Sign up for DOT Climate Change Center Updates 
Announcements
Access the Climate Change Center Guide to the TRB 2025 Annual Meeting
Register for Upcoming Webinars: The next ones are January 13, "Action Plans for Implementing the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization," and January 15, "Enhancing Transportation Resilience."
Newly Released: Action Plans for Implementing the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, December 12, 2024.
DOT Releases Climate Strategies that Work Playbook - a comprehensive resource to guide cities, regions, industry leaders, philanthropic strategists, and transportation professionals at every level in implementing the most effective strategies for reducing transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions, November 20, 2024.
DOT Releases Fact Sheet at COP29 Climate Conference - Reflecting on USDOT's Work to Combat the Climate Crisis and Build More Sustainable and Equitable Transportation Systems, November 19, 2024.
DOT publishes interim Federal Flood Risk Management Standard guidelines, November 13, 2024.
DOT Announces $2.4 billion in New Rail Projects - Grants include funding for battery electric locomotives that will both cut carbon pollution and improve local air quality, October 29, 2024.
Applications open for the PROTECT program. $876 million available to improve the resilience of transportation to climate change and natural hazards. Applications due February 24, 2025 and February 24, 2026.
Integrating Natural Hazard Resilience into the Transportation Planning Process - a new handbook for state and local transportation agencies. October 2024.
DOT Funding Programs and Climate Change
Most DOT funding programs have eligibilities for transportation climate solutions. Some programs have a focus on climate change. Learn more.
Key Resources
Report to Congress: Decarbonizing Transportation
Training and Technical Assistance
Greenhouse Gas Analysis Resources and Tools
Climate Adaptation and Resilience Resources and Tools
Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
Transportation and Climate Symposium
DOT Climate Change Policies
Policy Statement on Buy Clean Initiative
Policy Statement on Climate Adaptation
DOT Climate Adaptation Action Plan for Resilience
Operating Administration Climate Change Websites
The DOT Climate Change Center coordinates climate change related actions across the Department of Transportation. Since much of the implementation takes place at the level of the operating administrations within the Department, important content related to implementation of climate change actions can be found on the operating administration webpages below.
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Climate Change Website
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Environmental Programs Website and Aviation Climate Action Plan
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Energy and Emissions Website and Resilience Website
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Climate Change Website
Maritime Administration (MARAD) Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) Program
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy
Joint Office of Energy and Transportation
Office of International Transportation and Trade
Climate Challenges
The U.S. Department of Transportation developed climate challenges for different modes of transportation (aviation, public transportation, highway, and rail) to encourage and support transportation stakeholders in taking aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Public Transportation Climate Challenge - Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Challenge
Highways Climate Challenge - Quantifying Emissions of Sustainable Pavements
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Guidance
The Council on Environmental Quality issued guidance to assist agencies in analyzing greenhouse gas and climate change effects of their proposed actions under NEPA.
Council on Environmental Quality Guidance on Consideration of Climate Change in NEPA