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The House of Commons Library briefing Climate change adaptation and resilience in the UK outlines the UK’s legal duties, policies, and progress on preparing for unavoidable climate impacts. Under the Climate Change Act 2008, government must assess climate risks and publish five-year National Adaptation Programmes (NAPs). The third programme (2023–2028) covers infrastructure, nature, health, business, and international risks.
The briefing stresses that adaptation is essential alongside emissions reduction, as the UK faces increasing heatwaves, floods, and sea-level rise. It highlights the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) repeated warnings that national preparations remain inadequate, with gaps in governance, investment, monitoring, and integration across departments.
The CCC’s 2025 progress report concluded that the UK is “not prepared” for current or future climate risks and urged stronger objectives, coordination, and integration into all government policies. Progress across sectors is mixed: some infrastructure and planning improvements exist, but resilience in nature, agriculture, health, and food security is weak.
The paper also covers devolved administrations’ adaptation plans, the role of local government, and international commitments on finance and trade. It concludes that while legislation and frameworks are in place, delivery lags behind the scale and urgency of climate risks, requiring immediate action to embed adaptation across policy and spending.
