The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Owen Paterson)

The Climate Change Act 2008 requires the Government to undertake a climate change risk assessment, followed by the publication of a national adaptation programme. In January 2012 the Government published the “Climate Change Risk Assessment” (CCRA). This brought together the best available evidence, using a consistent framework to identify the main risks and opportunities related to climate change. The Government’s response to the CCRA is the first National Adaptation Programme (NAP).

The Adaptation Reporting Power was introduced under the Climate Change Act and aims to:

ensure climate change risk management is systematically undertaken by reporting authorities;

help ensure public services and infrastructure are resilient to climate change;

monitor the level of preparedness of key sectors to climate change.

Following consultation, the strategy I am publishing today sets out a voluntary approach for the second round of reporting. I will invite those organisations which took part in the first round of adaptation reporting to provide progress updates on the actions that they set out in their reports to Government. These organisations are primarily from the energy, water and transport sectors. I will also invite a small number of organisations to report for the first time on their assessment of the current and predicted risks and opportunities from climate change to their functions, as well as their proposals and policies for adapting to climate change. I am not intending to issue directions to organisations to report under the second round of the adaptation reporting power.

I am placing these documents in the Libraries of both Houses. They will also be published on: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/adapting-to-climate-change

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