About

The UK’s climate is changing. Even with very ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally, some further climate change is inevitable up to at least 2050. Adaptation is needed alongside mitigation to reduce the risks from climate change.

The Climate Change Act put in place a policy framework to promote adaptation action in the UK consisting of:

• The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) is a five-yearly assessment of the major risks and opportunities from climate change to the UK. It is produced in two parts, with an independent assessment of UK climate risk first, then is followed by a Government report.
• The National Adaptation Programme is the Government’s strategy to address the main risks and opportunities identified in the risk assessment for England, and is also produced every five years. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own adaptation programmes.
• The UK Adaptation Reporting Power grants the Secretary of State the power to require public service organisations to produce reports on what they are doing to adapt to climate change.
• The Climate Change Committee reports to Parliament every two years on the Government’s progress in adapting the UK for the impacts of climate change, by delivering the National Adaptation Programme (NAP). The NAP focuses on the whole of the UK for a small number of reserved policy areas (issues on which only the UK Parliament can make laws), and focuses on England for devolved matters, which make up the majority. This is because the Devolved Administrations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) make policy independently on devolved matters.

This independent website collates evidence, research and analysis which informs the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.