The UK’s Third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3)

Over 450 experts from government, private sector and civil society organisations were involved in the creation of an independent Assessment of the UK climate risk. This major piece of work, published in June 2021, informed the UK Government’s CCRA3 report which was laid before parliament on 17th January 2022.

Professor Richard Betts MBE, a member of the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute and Head of Climate Impact Research at the Met Office Hadley Centre, led the detailed 1500-page CCRA3 Technical Report, providing the evidence at the core of the Independent Assessment.

The Technical Report concluded global warming is already bringing bringing substantial risks to the UK’s natural environment, infrastructure, human health, communities and businesses.

It also concluded that the UK is subject to international risks relating to issues such as security, migration and supply chains.

All these risks are expected to be higher at global warming of 2°C and would be even greater if warming were to reach 4°C.

CCRA3 outlines the severity of the climate emergency and this detailed report proves that measures to improve the UK’s resilience to climate change are failing to keep up with the effects of global warming.

Download the CCRA3 Technical Report

The Technical Report showed that the UK is badly unprepared for climate change. The analysis informed the official advice to government by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) who highlighted eight risk areas requiring the most urgent attention for government action on adaptation in the next two years. The science and advice were accepted by the government in their own report to Parliament.

Professor Betts joined Minister Jo Churchill MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Defra and Baroness Brown of the CCC in presenting the conclusions of CCRA3 at COP26.

This event showcased the UK’s proactive steps to build adaptive capacity and reduce climate risk to communities both domestically and internationally through risk assessments, action-oriented research and knowledge exchange. The panel discussion drew on findings from the Third Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk published in 2021 and collaborative work with international initiatives to build adaptive capacity with developing nations, such as the Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC), Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA), Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) and Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER).