Under the UK’s Climate Change Act, the UK Government must assess climate risks every five years. The Climate Change Committee has a statutory responsibility to provide independent advice on these risks to inform the UK Government’s assessment and is tasked with compiling the evidence on climate risks. This report, and the accompanying CCRA4-IA Technical Report, do that. For the first time, the Committee is offering advice on potential solutions to address these risks. While this statutory responsibility is to the UK Government, the Committee hopes this report will provide evidence to support action by the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, who helped to commission it. The report can also be useful to other organisations focused on action to adapt to climate change.
This report sets out climate risks, actions, and enablers across 14 key systems including health, land, and the economy. Breaking down our analysis in this way allows for clear recommendations and accountability. But climate risks do not simply sit in single systems. Many of the most dangerous risks will cascade across them. Further analysis could help understand the potential for avoiding these cascades, but the priority is action now to address known risks.
Adaptation can also operate across systems. The Committee has sought to take this into account in proposing objectives, targets, and actions – for example, minimising deaths due to extreme heat requires actions in health and social care, and in homes and communities.
The Committee estimates that investment of around £11 billion per year (range £7–£22 billion, 2025 prices) is needed from the public and private sectors.
