About the Climate Security National Foresight Group

Setting the Context

Alongside the required focus on mitigating the potential impacts of climate change through a focus on net zero programmes and projects, there is also a need to prepare to deal with the impacts of the changing climate so that we can reduce the harm to communities and livelihoods from adverse and acute weather events.

The need to explore and understand how we adapt is the main focus of this group which brings together government departments, public service organisations and the voluntary and charity sector to explore and showcase key adaptation and resilience topics. A full list of defined terms regarding to our remit on climate security and adaptation are provided in our first report which can be read here.

Whilst we need to plan for and deliver ways to mitigate climate change through projects and programmes linked to net zero we can’t ignore the here and now. The need to prepare has been brought into sharp relief by recent changes to weather patterns and the impacts of these on the UK over the last few years. This group looks at where others are not and shares our learning with key stakeholders and decision-makers.

Addressing the challenge

Climate Security National Foresight Group is a cross-disciplinary group of strategic leaders and decision-makers from across organisations in the UK, with academic experts, policymakers and analysts coming together to make a difference. The academics, policy makers and analysts will connect and share their knowledge, expertise and evidence-based actions and the strategic leads will  share their strategic coordinate effort to prepare, plan and manage the expected impacts ensuring that together we adapt to climate change in the UK.

The group will to provide a space to discuss and gain a deeper understanding of the evidence and how it can be applied to the context.

The group meets monthly to develop and share a series of policy-focused outputs and events to engage and inform key stakeholders. The majority of outputs will be shared publicly here.

The group is chaired by ACC Mark Williams, National Mobilisation Coordinator and National Police Chiefs Council Civil Contingencies Lead, and is sponsored by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, National Police Chiefs Council and Nottingham Trent University. (The project was initially sponsored by the Cabinet Office).

The group will consider areas relevant to the topic and will explore and investigate specific challenges or opportunities within those topics to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerabilities within communities.

The  groups terms of reference are available on request.

Members

Embedded Scientists at NTU

• Rowena Hill
• Rich Pickford
• Erin Gibson
• Ruwan Samaraweera

Making a difference

This multi-organisational team is already working to support a more integrated and evidence-informed response to climate security in the UK. Key stakeholders have committed to work with this group which takes its genesis from the successful C19 National Foresight Group that supported government and agency decision-making through the Covid-19 pandemic.

The team have a track record of working between policy and research to inform and influence key decisions and will bring this to bear on the project. To explore our previous work supporting the response to the Covid-19 pandemic  visit the C19 National  Foresight Group pages of this site.

For more information please get in touch: climate.securitynfg@ntu.ac.uk