Twenty-eighth Report Adapting Institutions to Climate Change Cm ...

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significant role in determining major developments over the longer term and the Commission
heard evidence that its capacity to incorporate climate change impacts will be critical to the
delivery of effective adaptation strategies in relation to the national infrastructure network.
These are important and welcome developments which, in our view, provide a good start in
addressing the challenge of adaptation. Nevertheless, the Commission feels that much greater efforts
will be required in the future to build the adaptive capacity of UK institutions. The Adaptation
Sub-Committee will have a vital role to play in advising Government on appropriate actions.
REPORTING
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There are arrangements in place in a number of areas to require organisations to report on progress
towards adaptation. The UK Climate Change Act 2008 establishes a reporting power, under
which the Secretary of State can direct public bodies and statutory undertakersiv to produce
reports on their assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on them, their proposals
and policies for adaptation, and the progress they have made. Following a public consultation,
Defra set out in November 2009 the Government’s plans for using this power. 20 It proposed that
around 90 priority organisations should be asked to report in 2010 (out of 100,000 organisations
potentially covered within the terms of the Act).
Figure 3-IV shows these organisations categorised by Defra according to their vulnerability to
climate change, responsibility for national infrastructure, and whether they have comprehensive
regulations already in place relating to climate change. The ‘priority reporting authorities’ are
those which fall within the first two categories and have no existing reporting responsibilies.
It is notable that there are bodies which satisfy Defra’s criteria as priority reporting authorities
but which do not meet the definition of a reporting authority for the purpose of the UK Climate
Change Act 2008 (petroleum and electronic communications companies in particular). Defra is
proposing to ask these bodies to report on a voluntary basis.
iv That is, bodies with a statutory responsibility for delivering services such as energy and water.
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Chapter 3