Review of Attributable Climate Impacts in the UK

Under the Climate Change Act 2008 (section 57), an assessment of the risks facing the UK from the current and predicted impact of climate change is required every 5 years. The CCC is responsible for providing independent advice to the UK Government to inform that assessment.

The Committee has recently provided its advice to the UK Government on the risks and opportunities facing the UK from current and future climate change as part of the third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) - this was summarised in its Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk which was published in summer 2021.

The fourth UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4) is due for completion by June 2026. CCRA4 will assess climate change risks to the UK using a more spatially defined approach than previous CCRAs, giving an assessment of the spatial distribution of climate risks across the UK and a more localised view of adaptation needs.

To inform the next CCRA we are looking to commission a review of formally attributable impacts from past and present climate change in the UK. This review will draw on existing literature and cover both the attribution of changes in climate impact drivers as well as attributable impacts on human systems and ecosystems in the UK.

** See specification for more detail **