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- This executive summary for policymakers presents the key findings and policy considerations of the ACCESS Task Force on Adaptation and Resilience, which was supported and co-chaired by the Government Office for Science. The full report is available here. This summary and the main report are based on a synthesis of published social science evidence, a range of expert inputs, and two workshops. These do not reflect UK government policy or official positions.
By Government Office for Science
LONDON, England – The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the UK. Changing temperatures, seasonal shifts and increased frequency and severity of extreme events — such as storms, drought and wildfires — are exacerbating and compounding existing risks to society, environment, and economy. These impacts are not experienced evenly. Some people are more vulnerable and less able to adapt than others due to their social situation, income, access to support and where they live.
The evidence from social science research points to the value of taking a people-centred approach to climate adaptation. This is a way of designing and delivering adaptation policy that considers human wellbeing, agency, and lived experience, recognising that adaptation is not simply a technical or engineering problem but an ongoing social process that will need to adjust and respond to changing climate and societies. While technical solutions like physical infrastructure are essential, they are most effective when combined with an understanding of how people experience, respond to and shape change.
Integrating people-centred approaches into policymaking can strengthen the design of adaptation and resilience measures, options and responses by providing a richer understanding of people’s views, needs, public support and uptake, mindful of existing risks and vulnerabilities.
The full report synthesises social science evidence for policymakers, alongside six case studies and a list of useful resources and practical tools. It aims to show that including social science insights and approaches at the start of the policymaking process, and during every stage of policy development, can enable improved design and delivery of adaptation policy.
Government chief scientific adviser, Professor Dame Angela McLean, said:
“The actions that people can take, and their effects, are influenced by a range of social, behavioural, economic, and cultural factors. To adapt well to our changing climate, we need to understand what affects the choices people can make and use that understanding when designing policies and support.
“This report makes an important contribution to that agenda. It summarises scientific insights, concepts, methods and approaches that can be used to help adaptation and resilience policy be more effective, more equitable, and more grounded in the realities of everyday life.
“The ACCESS Adaptation and Resilience Task Force comprised 13 academic and government social scientists with extensive subject knowledge and experience of working across the science-policy interface.”