Central government

Central government has a key role in tackling climate change in the United Kingdom, though some aspects of strategy and implementation are the responsibility of the Devolved Administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Government is responsible for setting much of the context (policy, regulations) within which other stakeholders must operate.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has the lead on climate change adaptation policy in the Government. The Environment Agency is funded by Defra to provide information and guidance on climate change impacts and adaptation as the basis for decision-making by stakeholders. The Adapting to Climate Change Programme is a cross-Government programme, co-ordinated by Defra.

Other Government departments are responsible for different aspects of climate policy and adaptation. Departmental Adaptation Plans were issued by government departments on 31 March 2010. Defra and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have jointly produced a document entitled Climate Change – Taking Action which sets out the context and purpose of these plans.

Information on government departments and links to their individual Adaptation Plans can be found on the Connections pages.

The 2006 UK Climate Change Programme is the UK’s key strategy for its work on tackling climate change. It sets out the policies and measures which the UK is using to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases and explains how the UK plans to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Climate Change Act (2008)

The Climate Change Act (2008) provides the UK government’s legal basis for climate change activities, and includes both mitigation and adaptation.

Part 4 in the Climate Change Act (2008) deals with adaptation. The Act places a duty on the Secretary of State to carry out an assessment of the risks to the UK from the impact of climate change; the first report will be published in 2012, with subsequent reports at least every five years. Each risk assessment must be followed by the publication of a Government programme of adaptation measures. There is a parallel requirement on the relevant Northern Ireland department to publish an adaptation programme in Northern Ireland.

The Stern Review on the economics of climate change

The Stern Review was commissioned by the Chancellor and published in 2007. The first half of the report focuses on the impacts and risks arising from uncontrolled climate change, and on the costs and opportunities associated with action to tackle it. The second half examines the national and international policy challenges of moving to a low-carbon global economy.