National Adaptation Programmes

The UK Climate Change Act (2008) and Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 set out a statutory five-yearly cycle of UK climate change risk assessments (CCRA), informed by independent advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

The CCRA is used to inform national adaptation programmes for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Each cycle leads into the next so that learning, experience, and adaptation action can feed through and result in progress in adapting to climate change in the UK over time.

UK National Adaptation Programme

• The National Adaptation Programme (NAP) sets out the actions that the UK Government will take to adapt to the challenges of climate change in England, plus a small number of reserved sectors across the UK, such as defence.
• It is the UK Government’s strategy to address the main risks and opportunities identified in the risk assessment for England and is also produced every five years. 
• The CCC has a statutory duty to assess the progress made towards implementing the objectives, proposals, and policies set out in the NAP every two years. 
• The third NAP (NAP3) was published in 2023 and covers the period until 2028.

Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme

• In Northern Ireland, the UK Climate Change Act 2008 makes provision for the Northern Ireland Executive to publish a climate change adaptation programme as soon as reasonably practicable after the publication of each CCRA.
• The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 places a statutory duty on the CCC to assess the progress made towards implementing the objectives, proposals, and policies set out in the programme no later than three years after the programme is laid. 
• The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) published Northern Ireland’s Third Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NICCAP3) in March 2026. This covers the period covers the period up to 2029.

Scottish National Adaptation Plan

• In Scotland the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places a duty on ministers to lay a programme for climate change adaptation following each CCRA.
• The Act (2009) also requires an annual report on progress and for the programme to be independently reviewed every two years.
• The third plan (SNAP3) was published in 2024 and covers the period until 2029.

Climate Adaptation Strategy for Wales

• In Wales, the UK Climate Change Act 2008 requires Welsh Ministers to produce reports on the Welsh Government’s objectives, actions, and future priorities for adapting to the impacts of climate change.
• The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 also requires public bodies to adapt to climate change.
• Under the Environment Act (Wales) 2016, Welsh Ministers can request independent advice, analysis, and information on climate change matters.
• The current Climate Adaptation Strategy for Wales was published in 2024 and covers the period to 2029.