Dr. Adelle Thomas (she/her)

Senior Director, Climate Adaptation, Environmental Health

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General Information

Adelle Thomas leads NRDC's adaptation and resilience work, supercharging the growth of our excellent, longstanding domestic work and our burgeoning global efforts in these areas. Thomas brings more than 17 years of expertise in scientific research, policy development, and advocacy around climate adaptation, along with an extensive background in engaging with communities to identify climate-related risks and articulate adaptation needs. This includes serving as a scientific advisor in negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, working as a lead author for several Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, collaborating with developing nations to craft and implement National Adaptation Plans, providing training on adaptation, and helping formulate New York State’s inaugural adaptation plan. Thomas currently serves as vice chair for the IPCC Working Group II for its seventh assessment cycle. Thomas holds bachelor's degrees from Macalester College and the University of Minnesota and a master's degree in geography and a PhD from Rutgers University. She is based in NRDC’s Washington D.C., office.

Areas of Work
Climate Change Climate Adaptation Equity & Justice

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UN Secretary-General António Guterres attends Thematic Session 2: The Energy Transition at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, on November 7, 2025.

COP30: World Continues to Take Action on Climate

Expert BlogInternationalYamide Dagnet, Sameer Kwatra, Jake Schmidt, Jennifer Skene, Dr. Adelle Thomas, Joe Thwaites
Even with some bumps along the way, countries across the globe rallied behind the need to accelerate the transition toward a climate-resilient, fossil fuel–free, prosperous economy.
Workers secure a geotextile mega container in place while an excavator pumps sediment to fill it as part of the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) on Funafuti, Tuvalu, in November 2022. TCAP is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with additional contributions from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and co-financing from the Government of Tuvalu. The reclamation incorporates drainage to protect from heavy rainfall and a small harbor facility to provide continued community

What Could a New Adaptation Finance Goal Look Like?

Expert BlogInternationalJoe Thwaites, Dr. Adelle Thomas
Exploring seven potential scenarios for a new climate adaptation finance goal.
A man carries a folded American flag away from a flag pole outside a burning house during the Eaton Fire

A Costly Dissonance: Putting America Last in Climate Resilience

Expert BlogUnited States, InternationalYamide Dagnet, Dr. Adelle Thomas
Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and disregard of climate adaptation at a time of escalating disasters have immediate and long-term consequences for Americans and the rest of the world.

Publications

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Families walking beside the South Pond at Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois.

Rebuilding Safer

ReportUnited StatesDakota Fisher, Joel Scata, Dr. Adelle Thomas, Dr. Hope Thompson
State and local governments can build resilience with strong policy, good governance, and long-term investment.
Damaged and submerged homes after flash flooding in Sunamganj, Bangladesh, in June 2022. The people of North-Eastern Bangladesh are experiencing the worst flooding in living memory. 94% of the Sunamganj District is submerged by floodwater. At least 26 people have died in monsoon flooding and lightning strikes in India, as millions remained marooned in the country and neighboring Bangladesh.

Planned Relocation Policies and Practices

ReportPeru, InternationalDr. Adelle Thomas
As climate risks make some places unlivable, lessons from Bangladesh, Fiji, and Peru show how governments can relocate communities in ways that protect people, human rights, and livelihoods.