October 2024
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This conference examined climate adaptation progress so far in Wales and priorities moving forward.
It brought stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss the next National Adaption Plan, which is expected later this year. Delegates considered implications of policy plans for stakeholders, including in agriculture, energy and heat generation, housing, transport, and infrastructure.
Delegates also examined findings from the Welsh Government’s consultation on its Just Transition Framework, looking at issues identified by stakeholders, such as the need for strategic guidance and customised approaches to ensure fairness. We expected discussion on opportunities for community-based approaches and engagement with vulnerable groups, as well as priorities for funding, transport infrastructure, and education and training.
Attendees also considered what further steps are required to deliver changes needed to meet net zero targets, looking at challenges around resources and the current skills gap, priorities for innovation, frameworks for collaboration between key sectors and local authorities, and what further support local authorities need in implementing adaptation strategies.
A focus for the conference will be assessing next steps for building the nation’s climate resilience, including progress in the year since the Climate Change Committee’s Adapting to climate change - Progress in Wales report, which highlighted issues including insufficient data and monitoring, as well as significant gaps in planning and policy in a range of sectors across Wales.
The Head of Adaptation for the CCC, Richard Millar, was a keynote speaker at this conference. We are pleased to have been able to include further keynote sessions with: Elen Shepard, Deputy Director, Climate Change and Fuel Poverty, Welsh Government; Natalie Rees, Head of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Transport for Wales; and Tim Birch, Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager, Wildlife Trusts Wales
With discussion on opportunities and challenges for reducing immediate threats, delegates considered what is needed to drive key enablers, such as community engagement, improve agricultural resilience and decarbonise the housing sector, as well as priorities for addressing monitoring issues and plugging data gaps, and scope for further climate research.
Overall, the agenda included discussion on:
- adapting to climate change: progress in Wales so far - priorities for building resilience - delivering adaptation action - aligning adaptation with biodiversity, well-being and net zero commitments
- next National Adaption Plan: key issues and priorities - identifying areas for further research - engaging communities and sectors - agricultural resilience, sustainable practice and land management
- protecting ecosystems: securing both natural and built environments - protecting at-risk communities and infrastructure - impact of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 for planning and targets
- building adaptation data and monitoring: assessing progress in the provision of data - increasing data collection to inform decision-making - monitoring impacts to understand the adaptation gap
- sectoral planning for climate change: lessons learned from adaptation approaches so far - assessing best practice - support needed to manage risk - engaging the private sector in adaptation planning
- coordination: frameworks for collaboration - assessing shared challenges and opportunities for cross-working in constructing comprehensive and actionable climate change adaptation plans
- protecting communities and public health: supporting community-led adaptation projects - developing flood resilience in at-risk areas - identifying increasing health service demand arising from climate change - strengthening policies and plans to ensure high quality and accessible healthcare delivery
- infrastructure and transport networks: improving resilience to severe weather - planning and adaptation targets - minimising the impact of increased precipitation, flooding and temperature changes
- water and energy: reducing vulnerability to extreme weather - identifying and managing interdependencies with other services - security planning to deliver reliable supply - increasing reservoir performance and water transfer between regions
- policy priorities: embedding climate resilience across Welsh government policy - approaches to ensuring a just transition to net zero - integrating adaptation into long-term planning and investment decisions
All delegates were able to contribute, alongside key policy officials, to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. Those that attended include officials from the Welsh Government; IEPAW; NRW; Defra; EA; Ofwat; ORR; DESNZ; CCC; GO-Science; DAERA, NI; Department for the Economy, NI; DfI, NI; DfC, NI; DfT; DSIT; Isle of Man Government; MHCLG; MoD; and The Scottish Government.
