In response to the Climate Change Committee adaptation progress report, Chris Richards, Director of Policy at the Institution of Civil Engineers said:
“Today’s Climate Change Committee report is a stark warning to the UK Government that it needs to make climate adaptation and resilience a policy priority now, before any more time is wasted.
“The current approach is not working – there are significant data gaps and few fully credible plans across many systems.
“As the UK continues the transition to net zero, more and more of the country’s infrastructure systems will rely on electricity.
"Without understanding how these systems depend on one another, we risk a single point of failure that would impact communication, transport, and vital services like being able to heat homes, schools, and hospitals.
“To effectively plan, data gaps need to be closed so that action on the most vulnerable elements of the UK's infrastructure is prioritised.
“That’s why the ICE has recommended making adaptation reporting for all infrastructure owners and operators mandatory under the Climate Change Act.
“Only with a complete picture of how the UK’s systems are linked can the government effectively plan for the climate changes that are coming.”
Notes to editors
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