(Photo : Heidi Fin from Unsplash)

The British government has today launched its third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), a strategic blueprint for the next five years aimed at enhancing the nation's resilience and safeguarding its citizens, properties, businesses, and cultural heritage from the threats posed by climate change, including flooding, drought, and heatwaves.

The National Adaptation Programme (NAP3)

The NAP3 signifies a pivotal shift in the government's approach to climate adaptation. It consolidates the government's ambitious initiatives to tackle the major climate risks confronting the nation, ranging from measures to prevent overheating in homes, schools, and hospitals to securing our food and energy supply chains from disruption.

Key Commitments

The programme outlines several key commitments, including:

Comprehensive Approach to Climate Resilience

The integration of a comprehensive approach to climate resilience in accordance with the Government's Resilience Framework. This involves reviewing standards, assurance, and regulation of infrastructure sectors and enhancing the systems and capabilities that underpin our resilience planning.

Support to Vulnerable Communities

The provision of increased support to climate-vulnerable communities worldwide, with a tripling of adaptation funding through official development assistance to £1.5 billion by 2025. This marks the first time a domestic programme of this nature will have a dedicated response to overseas climate risks.

Protection of Lives and Wellbeing

The protection of lives and wellbeing across the UK, facilitated by a new UK Health Security Agency Adverse Weather & Health Plan. This plan will strengthen the health system's ability to adapt to an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

Local Authority Climate Service

The piloting of a Local Authority Climate Service to provide local authorities with easy access to localized climate data, aiding them in planning adaptation strategies.

Promotion of a Healthy Natural Environment

The promotion of a healthy and thriving natural environment through measures in the Environment Act, Plan for Water, and Environmental Land Management Schemes. These initiatives will boost biodiversity, protect and restore our natural habitats, and improve air quality, contributing to our Net Zero goals and building resilience.

Protection of Cultural Heritage

The development of capacity for Historic England to model the long-term impacts of climate change on cultural heritage.

Establishment of Climate Resilience Board

The establishment of a senior government officials Climate Resilience Board to oversee cross-cutting climate adaptation and resilience issues across government.

Government's Investments

The government has already committed billions to adaptation measures, including £5.2 billion in flood and coastal schemes in England, over £750 million for the Nature for Climate Fund, and £80 million for the Green Recovery Challenge Fund. These investments are crucial in enhancing the UK's resilience to climate change.

NAP3's Comprehensive Plan

NAP3 provides a comprehensive and forward-looking plan for the UK in adapting to the risks and opportunities of climate change. These include: 

Infrastructure

The government's new Resilience Framework sets out for the first time a strategic, whole of society approach to resilience, including new commitments on resilience standards. Defra will drive £2.2bn of accelerated investment in water quality and resilient supply through the Plan for Water, helping to safeguard our water supply from the risks posed by the changing climate.

Natural Environment

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) will take account of climate trends and hazards affecting local areas. Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) will incorporate climate change adaptation into its design to promote resilient and sustainable land management and farming practices. Six Nature Recovery Projects (NRP) will be launched in 2023 and we will work with Nature Recovery Network (NRN) delivery partners to identify and launch another 13 projects.

Health, Communities and the Built Environment

Protecting communities and businesses across England through a £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal erosion schemes. Deployment of the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) Adverse Weather & Health Plan alongside the UKHSA/Met Office weather health alerting systems to protect lives and wellbeing. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will be updated to support both adaptation and mitigation efforts, in addition to recent updates to Building Regulations to reduce excess heat and unwanted solar gains in all new residential buildings. Provision of dedicated local climate projections service to each upper tier local authority to support local adaptation planning on hazards such as heatwaves, and short-term, localised heavy rainfall.

Business and Industry

The Green Finance Strategy 2023 sets out a range of actions being taken to protect the financial system from climate-driven impacts and to attract private investment into adaptation. This includes encouraging banks, asset managers, companies, and individuals (SIPP or ISA savers) to invest in green initiatives. Through the Green Jobs Taskforce, the government will identify the skills needed for the UK to transition to net zero whilst strengthening adaptation to climate change. Survey business readiness for climate impacts and provide information and support to businesses on adapting to higher temperatures, water scarcity, storms and flooding.

International Impacts

The International Climate Finance (ICF) Strategy sets out how government will help adapt and build resilience in vulnerable communities from climate related disasters, including through the tripling of adaptation funding through official development assistance to £1.5bn in 2025. The UK will continue to drive international action and consensus negotiations on climate adaptation including a key focus at the COP28 in the UAE later this year.

Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP)

Reporting will take place on a shorter timescale to realign adaptation reports with other parts of the government's statutory cycle. Targeted scope expansion, including additional reporting on canals and reservoirs, health and social care and food supply.

Supporting Evidence

Supporting world-leading science and evidence, such as the UK Climate Projections, supports our adaptation work. A forthcoming £15 million UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)/Defra joint funded programme will support the research and innovation needed to deliver adaptation action.