ICE and UKGBC criticise government鈥檚 lack of ambition in its National Adaptation Programme
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has criticised the government鈥檚 plan to adapt the UK鈥檚 infrastructure to the impacts of climate change.
On Monday, the government published its third , a 140-page report outlining how departments will act to adapt the UK鈥檚 homes, buildings and natural environment to deal with extreme weather.
It includes commitments to review the regulation of infrastructure, a tripling of adaptation funding to 拢1.5bn and the development of a new UK Health Security Agency Adverse Weather and Health Plan that builds on existing health alerting systems.
But it has come under criticism for its lack of ambition, including from the ICE鈥檚 director of policy, Chris Richards, who said the plan鈥檚 鈥渙verall lack of urgency鈥� was 鈥渄eeply concerning鈥�.
He said: 鈥淎lmost exactly a year on from the hottest day ever recorded in England, while record breaking heat and wildfires dominate headlines around the world, the impact of climate change is not some far-off threat. It is happening now.
鈥淭he UK needs to ramp up its adaptation measures. To do that, we need to understand what infrastructure is most at risk.
鈥淎cting quickly would give us the opportunity to develop world-leading infrastructure that is fit for the future. Delay will only make the problems worse.鈥�
>>Also read: Infrastructure investments worth 拢650bn at risk if climate resilience neglected
He highlighted the government鈥檚 failure to introduce mandatory adaptation reporting as a particular disappointment.
NAP3 instead commits the government to a review into whether reporting should be mandatory by 2024/25.
Richards said the government was 鈥減ostponing the UK鈥檚 ability to determine what infrastructure is most at risk and what actions need to be taken鈥� and re-iterated the ICE鈥檚 call to make adaptation reporting mandatory for all infrastructure owners and operators.
Louise Hutchins, UKGBC head of policy and public affairs, said that while the latest NAP was 鈥渁n important step forward鈥�, it needed to be more 鈥渦rgent and ambitious鈥� to adapt to extreme heatwaves.
鈥淭hat nationwide approach to adapt our homes and workplaces is largely missing,鈥� she added.
鈥淲e need a national effort to install measures like shutters, insulation, reflective paint, and water-efficient fixtures and fittings in our homes and buildings and shady trees and green spaces in our neighbourhoods.鈥�
She said the government currently had an 鈥渙pen goal鈥� to align the planning system with climate goals by accepting UKGBC-backed amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.
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