Climate Change

Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme. Defra works closely with the Cabinet Office in delivering this function.

• Our new pilot, the “Local Authority Climate Service” tool provides Met Office climate data to local authorities based on their specific geographic areas, empowering them to take more effective decisions based on their local risk landscape.

• Our new £15 million Defra-UKRI research programme ‘Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change’ (MACC) will fund world leading strategic research projects to help improve the UK’s resilience to climate change impacts.

• The Cabinet Office and Defra jointly chair the director-level Climate Resilience Steering Board with HM Treasury and key risk owning departments.

• Alongside delivering NAP3 we are committed to strengthening the nation’s resilience and are considering a range of options to better embed climate adaptation across the whole of government.

Defra has responsibility for around half of the 61 risks and opportunities identified in the third Climate Change Risk Assessment, with a further eleven government departments having responsibility for the remainder.