UK Climate Change Programme 2006 - JNCC - Defra

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Adaptation
of the second European Climate Change
Programme, which includes a work stream on
adaptation. The Commission are working towards
the production of a green paper on adaptation at
the end of 2006, and the UK will contribute to
this process.
Domestic commitments and
programmes
Adapting to Climate Change in the United
Kingdom – the Adaptation Policy
Framework (APF)
17. Although the more excessive regional
temperature increases and precipitation changes
may only be felt in a few decades time, they
need to be factored into decisions on investment
and infrastructure taken now. There are already a
range of adaptation activities taking place within
different sectors, including planning guidance,
health advice and water resource management,
and across different agencies and regions. In
order to develop a full picture of adaptation in
the UK we need to review such activities and
assess how far current efforts are contributing to
successful adaptation to climate change and to
identify what more needs to be done.
18. For this reason, the Government is developing a
climate change Adaptation Policy Framework,
which will set out the appropriate responsibilities
and activities across a range of organisations in a
sector by sector approach. A consultation exercise
was completed in January 2006 2 . This work
contributes to the strategic outcome in Defra’s
Five Year Strategy, published in 2004 3 under its
climate change and energy strategic priority on
the “UK successfully adapting to unavoidable
climate change.
19. The 5-year strategy included development of an
Adaptation Policy Framework which is described
below. For Defra, an emphasis was placed on
promoting research into climate change impacts
on agriculture, maintaining its substantial flood
and coastal erosion risk management programme,
with greater targeting of spending to reduce the
risks associated with climate change.
20. The Framework aims to provide a consistent
approach to building adaptation into policies, and
a coherent way to identify cross-cutting risks and
opportunities and to assist in prioritisation of
action across Government. Co-ordination of work
within and across Government Departments and
the devolved administrations will provide
leadership to stakeholders.
21. The development of objectives, targets and
measures of progress in each area of the
framework is the responsibility of the relevant
Government Departments and the devolved
administrations, along with other key players.
However, work on adaptation is the responsibility
of a wider range of stakeholders. While the
evidence base and the framework for a response
can be provided by Government, adaptation is
the responsibility of all and brings benefits to
those organisations and individuals who adapt
appropriately.
22. The Adaptation Policy Framework will provide the
structure in which adaptation strategies can be
integrated into policies developed by
organisations at every level of decision making.
Not only will the APF set out a rational structure
for different roles and activities in adaptation
(including at regional and local level), it will also
be a primary information source for those
involved in policy development and provide an
indication of priorities for the private sector.
23. This first stage aims to capture the national
picture of climate change adaptation as it
currently stands across the UK. It will focus on
priority sectors where climate change will have a
significant impact, or where considerable
co-ordination between Departments or with
other bodies will be needed to make progress on
adaptation. During stage 2, commencing in
2006, there will be an analysis of activities taking
place and an assessment made of the reasons
why some sectors are adapting more successfully
than others. Stage 3 (2008) will identify those
areas where adaptation is not occurring and what
incentives and assistance may be required to
ensure that it is considered appropriately in future
planning and development.
2 www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/adapt/policyframe.htm
3 Delivering the Essentials of Life: Defra’s Five Year Strategy, Defra, 2004. Available from www.defra.gov.uk