Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis spoke at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlighting efforts by the Biden-Harris administration to address climate change and economic inequity through nature-based solutions. She emphasized the Department's initiatives to support Tribal communities by funding clean energy home electrification.
Daniel-Davis participated in the Building Climate Resilience through Nature-based Solutions event at the U.S. Center. Here, federal officials discussed partnerships with international and U.S. stakeholders to promote locally-led nature-based solutions that use natural processes to mitigate disaster risks and aid climate adaptation.
She announced a collaboration with Duke University on an enhanced digital Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap. This guide will offer over 400 case studies on implementing nature-based solutions globally, aiming to be a resource for practitioners and site users.
The Department is also releasing guidance for landscape-level resource management approaches and best practices for integrating climate change science into analyses and decision-making processes.
In meetings with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Daniel-Davis explored shared objectives in advancing nature-based solutions, ecosystem connectivity, and Indigenous knowledge.
Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, $2 billion is allocated over five years for land and water restoration projects. The Department's Restoration and Resilience Framework aims to coordinate these investments effectively. A new interactive StoryMap was also introduced to highlight these efforts.
Additionally, Daniel-Davis joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at an event discussing the Inflation Reduction Act's impact on climate-smart agriculture and energy transition. She highlighted the Tribal Electrification Program funded by a $150 million investment from this act—the largest ever in climate initiatives.
Now in its second year, this program aids 23 Tribes by connecting homes to clean energy systems, transitioning existing homes to zero-emissions systems, supporting necessary home repairs, and fostering clean energy workforce development in Indian Country. This initiative marks progress toward electrifying all U.S. homes with clean energy sources.
