UK100 has submitted a response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Climate Adaptation Inquiry. The inquiry examines whether the Government's approach to climate adaptation is sufficient to protect communities, infrastructure, the economy and the natural environment, and what policy, governance and financial action is needed to improve national resilience.

The submission draws on UK100's research and our members' experience. It highlights that local authorities hold many of the levers that matter for adaptation, through planning, highways, flood risk, public health, housing and social care, yet sit outside the National Adaptation Programme's accountability and have no dedicated, long-term funding to deliver it.

It outlines key priorities for adaptation policy:

A statutory duty for local adaptation: Local, combined and strategic authorities should have a duty to contribute to the National Adaptation Programme alongside carbon budgets, backed by new-burdens funding.

Long-term, needs-based funding: Short-term, competitive grants should be replaced with multi-year, non-competitive funding that covers revenue and capacity as well as capital. The Treasury's approach should fully count avoided losses and wider benefits, recognising that the cost of failing to adapt could reach £60–260 billion a year by 2050.

Stronger, phased reporting: Adaptation reporting for strategic authorities should become mandatory over time, with new-burdens funding that also reaches the constituent councils who deliver much of the work.

A faster, more local NAP4: The fourth National Adaptation Programme should be brought forward from 2028, with local government built into its targets, governance and indicators.

Measuring what matters locally: A small set of local adaptation indicators, building on the former national indicator NI188, should track how prepared places are for flooding, overheating and other climate risks.

Protecting the most vulnerable: Adaptation policy should target support at those most at risk, including older people, care home residents and low-income households, and build heat resilience into the Warm Homes Plan.

Overall, UK100 called for adaptation to be given equal weight with mitigation, with a clear local role, the funding to deliver it and a National Adaptation Programme that works with local government, not around it.

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