State of Climate and Nature

Baroness Young of Old Scone Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

All I can say is that we are absolutely determined to do so, and I look forward to debating it with him during Part 3 of the Bill.

[Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government’s priority is growth, but the Office for Budget Responsibility’s recent fiscal risks report said that climate change impacts could cut GDP in the UK by 8% by the early 2070s. The Government inherited a pretty naff, if I can pun, national adaptation programme, which was formerly known as NAP3. But a naff NAP3 was pretty inadequate; it had not been implemented effectively and is not joined up with other resilience work that is going across both government departments and local authorities.

I would have thought from the way the noble Lord, Lord Offord, was speaking that, since he was unconfident that we would reach climate change carbon reduction targets in time, he might have been upping the ante on the adaptation programme, since obviously we are going to have more floods, heatwaves, reductions in biodiversity and more general gloom. But I ask the Minister simply, in the face of the fact that the national adaptation programme is currently not adequate, will the Government radically get a grip on the real challenge of adapting to the impacts of climate change in this country and protect the Government’s growth strategies through that action?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I am very pleased that my noble friend has asked about adaptation, because in my opinion it does not get talked about enough. It is going to be absolutely critical and really important that we look at how we develop infrastructure and housing. It is all going to have to take adaptation into account over the coming years.

She mentioned the third national adaptation programme, NAP3. But, alongside the delivery of that, we know that we have to drive further action. We know that we have to develop robust delivery plans ahead of the fourth national adaptation programme, which will come in 2028. We believe that we should have stronger objectives, because they are going to be crucial if we are going to have an ambitious and impactful fourth national adaptation programme. We are absolutely committed to increasing and improving the resilience of our communities as we accelerate our progress towards net zero.

My noble friend is absolutely right; it is completely critical, and vital, that adaptation is undertaken now to ensure that risks are managed efficiently and at the least cost to people.