Adapting to climate change

Climate change adaptation refers to the process of adjusting our lifestyles and practices to cope with the current and expected impacts of climate change. 

Changing how we do things now will increase our resilience to climate change effects in the future.

In North Somerset, current and expected impacts of climate change include

• warmer and drier summers, likely to break temperature records 
• wetter and warmer winters 
• more extreme weather events, including devastating flooding
• sea level rise 

Our response to the climate emergency addresses

• our need to reduce emissions through our climate emergency strategy and action plan
• how we can prepare our communities and businesses for the realities of a changing climate
• how we can protect North Somerset 

Successful climate change adaptation works alongside climate change mitigation measures to minimise the future effects of climate change, while managing current impacts and leveraging any potential benefits. 

Without taking steps towards adaptation, the financial burdens of climate change will increasingly fall on households, businesses, and government.

Climate change adaptation strategy and action plan

We have developed a North Somerset climate change adaptation strategy and robust action plan. This sets out the adaptations needed to protect North Somerset against the effects of extreme weather while continuing to deliver our services effectively.

We have also produced an information sheet for residents. This outlines the actions everyone can take to minimise the impacts of extreme weather events caused by climate change. It will help to build our resilience as a community.