The Role of UK Local Authorities in Climate Adaptation (CAG consultants)

About this document

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) commissioned CAG consultants to explore the role of UK local authorities in adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The first report, published in December 2025, maps in detail the specific statutory duties local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must fulfil and the discretionary powers they can use in relation to climate adaptation. It also sets out the national policies that guide local climate adaptation.

This second report explores the role of local authorities and the practical actions they can take for each adaptation system. It identifies the key drivers of and barriers to successful local climate adaptation.

This report reflects the views of CAG consultants and local authority officials who took part in an engagement exercise, and does not represent the views of the CCC.

Key messages

• Local authorities in the UK have an important role in delivering climate change adaptation, governed by a complex landscape of different duties and powers.
  
• Local authorities contribute to adaptation across all adaptation systems through the actions they directly control and influence, such as procurement, commissioning, place-shaping, showcasing good practice, forming partnerships, engaging stakeholders, and communicating effectively. However, the scale and nature of their role varies considerably between different adaptation systems.
  
• Local authorities officials identified the following factors as key to improving local climate adaptation:
  
  • Strong, consistent, and visible national leadership on adaptation to unlock effective local adaptation.
    
  • Substantial, long-term, accessible funding from UK and national governments to allow local authorities to prioritise adaptation. Funding should cover the full spectrum of adaptation activities (planning, implementation, and evaluation).
    
  • Clear statutory duties, requiring local authorities to act on climate adaptation, would secure commitment and buy-in. However, this would need to come with sufficient funding for adaptation activities.
    
  • Practical support by enabling coordination opportunities, offering training and guidance (for example on using climate risk data and how to cost co-benefits and adaptation business cases), and peer-to-peer learning.
    

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