Committee publication · Correspondence · 12 February 2025
Correspondence from the from the Climate Change Committee on the Adaptation Sub-Committee relating to the oral evidence session on 8 January 2025, dated January 2025
From: Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
Inquiry: Work of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Summary
This briefing from the Climate Change Committee's Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) follows oral evidence given to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on 8 January 2025. It outlines the ASC's statutory role in assessing climate risks and monitoring national adaptation, describes governance structures and funding constraints, and sets out proposals to strengthen the ASC's capacity through multi-year funding, enhanced government adaptation objectives, and improved data monitoring.
Key findings
- The ASC receives significantly lower funding than the Mitigation Committee despite similar statutory obligations, with CCRA funding historically back-loaded to the final years of each five-year work cycle, causing inefficiency and expertise loss.
- The ASC is requesting a single-figure percentage increase in overall adaptation funding and a multi-year settlement from Defra covering the full CCRA4 period to enable development of a permanent core team for the first time.
- Government has stated intention to establish stronger adaptation governance with the Cabinet Office coordinating climate response across departments, but this requires improved data collection and sectoral adaptation targets advised by the ASC.
- Baroness Brown chairs the ASC; ASC members are less well remunerated than Mitigation Committee members despite comparable experience and responsibilities, and the ASC is sponsored by Defra and devolved governments rather than DESNZ.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Climate Change Committee, Adaptation Sub-Committee, Emma Pinchbeck, Dr Emily Nurse, Baroness Brown, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Notable line
“Funding constraints are a significant barrier for the ASC to provide the depth of analysis and advice necessary to support the UK and devolved governments in their work on adapting …”
Key Quotes
“Funding constraints are a significant barrier for the ASC to provide the depth of analysis and advice necessary to support the UK and devolved governments in their work on adapting the UK for climate change risks.”
“ASC members, including the Chair, are less well remunerated than their colleagues on the Mitigation Committee.”
“Defra should provide a funding commitment for the full five-year period of CCR4, allowing the ASC to plan and manage our public grants effectively.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗