Government shuns notion that adaptation can be wholly publicly funded

The government has rejected the prospect of funding climate change adaptation solely by public money and committed to: “support the flow of private finance into adaptation and to implement revisions to approval and adoption of drainage to bring on sustainable systems.

The government’s comments came in its responses to the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC’s) recommendations laid out in its recent 2023 adaptation progress report.

The committee called on the government, to “clarify in its National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) where it expects adaptation actions to be funded”.

The government pointed to “significant public investment underpinning the plans and policies in NAP3 but warned that “adaptation actions cannot be funded through public spending alone.” It said additional investment from the private sector will be required to support adaptation action over the coming decades. It added: “Indicative analysis estimates that public and private sector adaptation investment needs could be as much as £10 billion a year this decade across all risks and opportunities identified in the third climate change risk assessment.

The CCC urged government to adopt review recommendations for revised technical standards for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in England, “to ensure that they are multifunctional systems that support biodiversity, improve water quality and provide green space for people.”

The government said it had “accepted the review’s recommendations and is now looking at how best to implement its proposed framework for the approval and adoption of drainage systems, while also being “mindful of the cumulative impact of new regulatory burdens on the development sector.”

It said implementation was expected during 2024, following a public consultation.

In response to the committee’s call for “mechanisms for funding installation and maintenance of SuDS and green infrastructure” the government . Said it had identified “a number of options for funding of SuDS.” It added: “These options are being further explored as part of the work to implement Schedule 3 in line with our commitment in the Plan for Water.

In answer to the committee’s recommendation that government “urgently collect data on the location, type and standard of SuDS and green infrastructure interventions, the government said the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill “will enable greater consistency and transparency to planning data by utilising data standards and collecting information using a standardised approach.”

It said it will “explore incorporating nature into development and the evidence underpinning these interventions, through better planning for green infrastructure and nature friendly buildings.”