The United Kingdom government is stepping up efforts to prepare and protect against the impacts of climate change, launching a new GBP 5 million research programme today that will provide the backbone needed to drive forward the UK’s world-leading response to climate change.
The new programme will see The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change and Ricardo as partners to explore how the UK can be resilient to the risks posed by climate change, such as flooding, heat waves, and extreme storms.
By providing high-quality scientific research and analysis, today’s new climate research programme will help government decision-makers ensure the UK is more resilient to the impacts a warming planet will have on our nation’s infrastructure.
Titled 'Climate Services for a Net Zero Resilient World (CS-N0W)', the four-year scheme will produce transformative advice, digital data, and technology, providing critical evidence and expertise to inform the government’s action plan for delivering a thriving, low-carbon, greener future.
These include reducing exposure to climate impacts such as the overheating of homes and extreme weather damage to energy infrastructure, engaging with local authorities on local climate action plans, and developing international climate strategies for global decarbonisation.
UK Climate and Energy Minister and International Adaption and Resilience COP26 Champion, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “From soaring temperatures in our homes, to flooding in our streets, climate change poses a threat to both our way of life and the safety of our nation."
“The CS-N0W programme will be essential in informing these decisions, providing the right tools and most up-to-date information needed to ensure the best possible choices are made for the UK to achieve our net zero emissions targets, become more climate-resilient, and build back greener,” she added.
CS-N0W will be carried out by a consortium of internationally renowned universities and research institutes, led by Ricardo, a global environmental consultancy.
The consortium will provide world-class scientific and research leadership, with a deep understanding of both the state of scientific knowledge of climate change and how to advance it, as well as the steps required to bridge science and facilitate evidence-based policy-making.
Today’s new climate research programme builds on the UK government’s efforts to tackle climate change and build back greener from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As called for in the recent climate risk report from the independent Climate Change Committee, the UK government is showing international leadership by increasing domestic climate resilience efforts, ahead of the COP26 UN Climate Summit in November.