Understanding climate risks to UK infrastructure: evaluation of the third round of the Adaptation Reporting Power

This is the Climate Change Committee’s report on the third round of the Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP3). CCC was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to undertake an evaluation of ARP3, to assess the extent to which the ARP3 returns meet the requirements set out in the Act and the objectives and principles in Defra’s strategy for this round.

The Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) was established under the Climate Change Act to help understand climate risks and progress in adaptation. It enables the UK Government to request reports from critical infrastructure providers on the current and predicted effects of climate change on their organisation; their proposals for adapting to climate change; and progress made towards their implementation. The ARP is a key element of the adaptation policy cycle and provides a unique source for understanding the UK’s infrastructure-related climate risks.