Ambitious climate adaptation programme is an urgent necessity for UK plc

Reacting to the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s report on the UK’s progress towards adapting to climate change, Nick Molho, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said: “Today’s report makes it clear that the UK Government needs an ambitious, detailed and fully co-ordinated approach to all aspects of climate and environmental policy: climate adaption, the transition to net zero emissions and nature recovery. Progressing with urgency on all three areas is essential if the risks faced by UK businesses from a changing climate are to be reduced and effectively managed. In practice, this means that work on the next National Adaptation Programme, updates to the Net Zero Strategy and the implementation of the Environmental Improvement Plan need to proceed at pace and be carefully joined up.”

Nick Molho added: “Climate adaptation can no longer be considered a secondary issue to reducing emissions. UK businesses rely on infrastructure and supply chains that are already being disrupted by the effects of climate change, as seen in recent years in sectors like power, water, food, buildings and more. A comprehensive and science-based national plan on adaptation is therefore essential to the long-term resilience of the UK economy. The business community strongly supports the CCC’s call for the Third National Adaptation Programme to demonstrate a step change in ambition underpinned by more detailed policies and transparent measures to monitor the progress made over time in adapting the economy and society to the effects of a changing climate.”