Authors: Kathryn Brown, Director of Climate Change and Evidence (The Wildlife Trusts) & Rachel Brisley Head of Energy and Environment (Ipsos)
Sorting out the policy framework for climate change adaptation – in other words, planning for and dealing with climate change as it happens – is often viewed by policy makers as a challenge. The reasons for this are well-rehearsed. There is no target; the future is uncertain; the multi-sector dimensions of adaptation mean there is no single metric to easily measure progress. This is all true… but only when you’re comparing adaptation to net zero, which is often the case as both fall under the umbrella of climate action. Whilst putting net zero plans in place is far from easy, the fixed and tangible nature of the target and the measurable steps through a single metric – carbon – that are required to get there helps to enable the marshalling of resources and policy commitments.
However, if you compare adaptation to dozens of other key policy priorities that are complex, inherently uncertain and measurable by multiple metrics – economic development, health, education, nature – it does not stand out as particularly challenging. As with these other policy agendas, adaptation needs a systems-based approach to help manage uncertainty and multiple interdependent impacts. Engaging stakeholders, and the public, can play a crucial role in addressing these uncertainties and interdependencies and also in bringing structure to the design of solutions to complex problems – both on net zero and definitely on adaptation.
We were delighted that Defra supported a public dialogue on adaptation in 2022. Although it wasn’t mentioned explicitly in the subsequent National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which it was intended to inform, some of the dialogue’s findings are with a focus on protecting vulnerable communities, for example. It is hoped that Defra and its wider stakeholders will implement awareness-raising activities to increase the profile of NAP3 and adaptation in general, echoing the strong messages from public dialogue participants about the need for better communications from trusted messengers.
The exercise produced real gems of wisdom and thoughtful reflections from a public cohort of just over 100 participants from Greater Manchester, Inner London, Dartmoor and Exmoor, and Hull and East Riding. It was also interesting to see that participants’ vision for a well-adapted UK was really no more than what we all want from life and went to the core of several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“A well-adapted England is one of human safety and well-being where people have access to basic services and well-maintained infrastructure. They live in a prosperous economy that capitalises on green opportunities and provides green jobs, sustainable agriculture and increased urban green space. Economic impacts of adaptation have been distributed fairly with no exacerbation of existing inequalities. This England is adaptable and well-prepared; everyone is well-informed; net zero and adaptation measures are carried out in tandem and given equal importance”.
Following the publication of an evaluation of the public dialogue by Sciencewise, we have returned to the dialogue’s recommendations for Government policy, which again the latest NAP did not address. These are all easily achievable and could help Labour be the party that delivers climate adaptation – because it really is not that difficult.
Participants were shocked by the range, immediacy and seriousness of climate change risks and felt that the time to act is now. They were also shocked by how little they knew about climate risks and their impacts and felt that this information needed to be publicised more widely in a way that everyone can understand. Improved, ongoing and widespread communication and engagement with the public is essential. Participants also felt that they should be engaged on the development of the NAP and that this should be a plan for the country, rather than Government alone.
Participants also set out a range of priority areas of importance for Government policy. One was the need for standards and regulations for businesses on climate resilience. There was widespread support for measures to protect vulnerable communities and property, and ecosystem-based approaches, followed by engineering, built and technological changes.
Related to the above, the dialogue concluded that Government has primary responsibility for adapting England to climate change but this needs to be on cross-party basis to ensure that adaptation decisions are not dictated by political whims or election cycles. However, Government does not hold all the responsibility, businesses should also do their bit (with adaptation standards and regulations put in place), and people should be incentivised to act at the individual scale and adapt their own lifestyles.
Finally, participants recognised the context specific nature of adaptation and that the type and scale of action should be based on local circumstances. Devolution plays a strong role here and potentially City Regions and their Mayors should be leading the charge to help the country adapt.
These recommendations are not ground-breaking, they are sensible approaches and being adopted for many policy areas. Why is climate adaptation so different? It isn’t. Many of these actions are simply steps. We’d love to see the new Labour Government use the dialogue as a blueprint for a better process going forward.
Learn more about the Climate Change Adaptation project on the project page.
