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

Chapter 3
3.23
3.24
FIGURE 3-IV
Summary of Defra’s fi ndings for selecting who will be asked to report on
progress towards adaptation under the Climate Change Act 2008 21,v
Responsible
for National
Infrastructure
Current Vulnerability
to Climate Change
Energy
42
No Existing
Comprehensive
Regulation Relating
to Adaptation
Local authorities are not required by Defra to report in this round, as they already report through a
system set out in the 2006 Local Government White Paper22 and implemented through the Local
Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. This mechanism offers potentially
one of the most signifi cant opportunities for tackling climate change at the sub-national level, if
implemented robustly. Central to the reforms is a new performance framework which aims to
improve social, economic and environmental wellbeing outcomes for local areas.
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 requires all 150 single- and
upper-tier authorities in England, vi to work alongside statutory and non-statutory agencies, and
private and voluntary sector institutions in Local Strategic Partnerships to adopt three-year local
area agreements (LAAs). The LAAs defi ne outcomes, indicators and targets specifi cally aimed
at improving the performance within a range of national and local cross-cutting priorities. The
new framework introduces 198 national indicators (NIs) covering a wide range of Government
priorities, which themselves were set out in Public Service Agreements and Departmental Strategic
Objectives. Local authorities are expected to pool resources and expertise in order to achieve
v For a list of abbreviations used, see page 157.
vi That is, county councils, metropolitan borough councils, London borough councils and unitary authorities.