Best Practice Approaches for Characterizing , Communicating , and Incorporating Scientific Uncertainty in Climate Decision Making

The CCSP Interagency Committee relies on Department of Commerce and NOAA certifications regarding compliance with Section 515 and Department guidelines as the basis for determining that this product conforms with Section 515. For purposes of compliance with Section 515, this CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Product is an " interpreted product " as that term is used in NOAA guidelines and is classified as " highly influential ". This document does not express any regulatory policies of the United States or any of its agencies, or provide recommendations for regulatory action. Interagency Committee relies on Department of Commerce and NOAA certifications regarding compliance with Section 515 and Department guidelines as the basis for determining that this product conforms with Section 515. For purposes of compliance with Section 515, this CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Product is an " interpreted product " as that term is used in NOAA guidelines and is classified as " highly influential ". This document does not express any regulatory policies of the United States or any of its agencies, or provide recommendations for regulatory action. Incorporating Scientific Uncertainty in Decisionmaking. This is part of a series of 21 SAPs produced by the CCSP aimed at providing current assessments of climate change science to inform public debate, policy, and operational decisions. These reports are also intended to help the CCSP develop future program research priorities. The CCSP's guiding vision is to provide the Nation and the global community with the science-based knowledge needed to manage the risks and capture the opportunities associated with climate and related environmental changes. The SAPs are important steps toward achieving that vision and help to translate the CCSP's extensive observational and research database into infor-mational tools that directly address key questions being asked of the research community. The purpose of this SAP is to synthesize and communicate the current state of understanding about the characteristics and implications of uncertainty related to climate change and variability to an audience of policymakers, decision makers, and members of the media and general public with an interest in developing a fundamental understanding of the issue. It was developed with broad scientific input and in accordance with the Guidelines for Producing CCSP SAPs, the Information Quality Act (Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-554)), and the guidelines issued by the Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and …