The Trump administration is ending federal support for the flagship annual report on the state of the Arctic and how the region is changing due to climate pollution, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The Arctic Report Card has been supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for two decades, including in 2025 under the Trump administration. Notably, last year's report lacked a news release on its findings — a decision that left it up to institutions outside the government to communicate them.
According to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, NOAA informed some of the report's scientists on Monday afternoon and gave no reason for the immediate suspension of all agency support.
A spokesperson for NOAA confirmed the change in the agency's involvement in this year's report.
"Coordination of the 2026 Arctic Report Card will not be facilitated through NOAA. All data historically contributed by NOAA to the product will continue to be collected and will remain publicly available," agency spokesperson Kim Doster told CNN.
Read more at the link in our bio.
📸 : Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images
Sustainable construction is shifting beyond carbon accounting towards resilience, circular economy delivery and measurable building lifecycle performance. UN warnings on displacement across South Asia from sea-level rise, drought and flooding reinforce the urgency of sustainable building design that treats adaptation as a core requirement, not a specialist add-on. UK fire services reporting escalating wildfire and flood risks point to the same imperative for energy-efficient buildings, low carbon design and sustainable urban development that can withstand climate volatility while reducing the carbon footprint of construction.
Material innovation is gaining momentum where waste streams become assets. Plans for a wind-turbine recycling facility in Inverness signal progress in circular economy in construction, giving physical capacity to end-of-life reuse in construction and resource efficiency in construction. Research converting plastic waste, including old CDs and packaging, into polymer networks able to absorb water from air shows how green building materials and low carbon construction materials could support moisture management, water harvesting and eco-design for buildings. The science remains early stage, but it strengthens the case for sustainable material specification, low embodied carbon materials and circular construction strategies.
Policy is becoming the decisive constraint. UK recycling rules that limit the repurposing of difficult plastic films expose a gap between environmental sustainability in construction and waste regulation designed around disposal rather than innovation.
For developers, contractors and product manufacturers, whole life carbon, embodied carbon and life cycle cost are now strategic measures of resilience, not compliance exercises.
Whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment, environmental product declarations (EPDs), BREEAM and BREEAM v7 are set to shape procurement decisions as clients demand evidence of net zero carbon buildings, net zero whole life carbon and credible carbon footprint reduction.
The competitive edge in green construction will come from proving that buildings use fewer virgin resources, reduce embodied carbon in materials, perform under climate stress and deliver lower whole-life risk. Sustainable building practices, renewable building materials, green infrastructure and low-impact construction are moving from aspiration to commercial necessity as the weather, regulation and investment markets put greater pressure on decarbonising the built environment.
Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do
get in touch.
Let's chat!
WLC Assistant
Ask me about sustainability
Hi! I'm your Whole Life Carbon assistant. I can help you learn about sustainability, carbon assessment, and navigate our resources. How can I help you today?