Legislative, policy and planning drivers
Key UK legislation and policy
In the UK, the Climate Change Act 2008 introduced new powers and duties on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The principal instrument for mitigating climate change was the setting of the long-term legally binding 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to a 1990 baseline. The Act also provides for a Committee on Climate Change, which sets carbon budgets for the government every 5 years. Provisions for adaptation to climate change include:
- UK-wide climate change risk assessment that must occur every 5 years;
- national adaptation programme that must be put in place and reviewed every 5 years to address the most pressing climate change risks;
- government power to require 'bodies with functions of a public nature' and 'statutory undertakers' – e.g. water and energy utility providers – to report on how they have assessed the risks of climate change to their work, and their response; and
- adaptation sub-committee of the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) in order to oversee progress on the national programme and advise on the risk assessment.
The most recent UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) was published in January 2017. It looked at a range of over 50 risks from different sectors and categorised them depending on the magnitude of impact, as well as confidence in the evidence base. Buildings and infrastructure will be affected by an increase in acute, extreme weather events as well as a long-term gradual change in the climate. The risks and opportunities identified by the CCRA are provided in Table 1.
| Risks and opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Risks | Opportunities |
| Flooding and coastal change risks to communities, businesses and infrastructure. | Milder winters reducing cost of heating buildings/homes, alleviating fuel poverty and winter deaths. |
| Risks to health, wellbeing and productivity from high temperatures. | Warmer weather and longer growing seasons increasing agricultural and forestry production. |
| Risk of shortages in public water supply and water for agriculture, energy generation and industry, with impacts on freshwater ecology. | Economic opportunities for businesses from increased demand for adaptation related goods and services. |
| Risks to vital goods and services provided by natural capital. | Warmer temperatures improve health, wellbeing and tourism. |
| Risks to domestic and international food production and trade. | |
| New and emerging pests and diseases, and invasive non-native species, affecting people, plants and animals. | |
Table 1: Risks and opportunities as identified by the CCRA
To respond to the recognised risks in the CCRA, the National Adaptation Programme (NAP) has been developed. The first NAP published in 2013 focused on a number of risks where decisions are considered urgent. The vision for the built environment is:
‘Buildings and places and the people who live and work in them are resilient to a changing climate and extreme weather and organisations in the built environment sector have an increased capacity to address the risks and take the opportunities from climate change.’
This is translated into 5 focus areas to be delivered through policy direction, training and additional funding:
- flood and coastal erosion risk management;
- spatial planning;
- increasing adaptive capacity in the sector;
- making homes and communities more resilient; and
- longer-term implications.
It is important to note that the CCRA and NAP provide a national level focus on the identification and management of climate change risks. When considering at the individual development level, a context specific risk assessment should be undertaken.
The National Planning Policy Framework 2012 highlights some of the ways in which the challenge of climate change can be met. Chapter 10 sets out how the planning system should facilitate the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Specific requirements include:
- Local planning authorities should adopt proactive strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, taking full account of flood risk, coastal change and water supply and demand considerations.
- New development should be planned to avoid increased vulnerability to the range of effects arising from climate change. When new development is brought forward in vulnerable areas, care should be taken to ensure that risks can be managed through suitable adaptation measures, including through the planning of green infrastructure.
- The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations were updated in May 2017 and now place greater emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation. They require all developments undergoing EIA to consider the impact of the project on climate (and how this is mitigated), as well as the vulnerability of the project to climate change (and how this is adapted to).