The National Academy of Sciences was founded on the enduring principle that our nation deserves the best available scientific knowledge.  Our core mission is to deploy science in service to the nation while employing procedures that are rigorous, nonpartisan, and that manage potential bias and conflicts of interest.  When questions arise whether that standard has been met, we have an obligation to examine them honestly and act on what we find.

The fourth edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, produced in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center (FJC), included a chapter on climate science.  That chapter has received considerable scrutiny, and the FJC has removed it.  The NAS has determined that questions about the processes used to develop the chapter warrant an independent review, and the chapter will not appear on our website while that review is underway.

This assessment is about the process used to produce the chapter and not about the validity of climate science. The focus is on our own procedures and whether they were adequate to ensure the highest standard of objectivity that this institution requires and our nation deserves.

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