ICE submission to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry on extreme weather resilience

Of the 89 risks on the government’s National Risk Register, eight are extreme weather events, defined as those that are significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) launched an inquiry examining the risks and how the UK government can develop resilience.

The ICE’s submission to the committee highlighted:

• From an infrastructure perspective, a systems-thinking approach to resilience and adaptation is required to improve resilience against future emergencies.

• The Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) should be made mandatory, as highlighted in the ICE’s policy position statement on resilience and adaptation.

  This would focus resilience efforts on key material risks and fill an information gap for the UK government.

• The UK government can develop resilience through using data-driven technologies like digital twins.

  The UK government can draw on the information provided by digital twins to visualise climate risks and explore adaptation measures under different scenarios.

  This would help prioritise investments and help the UK government develop more resilience.

• Detailed National Policy Statements can also fill a knowledge gap for the UK government.

  National Policy Statements should accurately reflect the challenges and potential mitigations resulting from the impacts of climate change and set out requirements for necessary action.