Monitoring adaptation activity

In recognition of the role that local authorities should be taking, in 2008 the Government introduced an adapting to climate change indicator (NI188) in the new Local Government Performance Framework. The overall aim of NI188 is to embed the management of climate risks and opportunities across the local authority and partners’ services, plans and estates and to take appropriate adaptive actions.

Many authorities in the South West are signed up to NI188. If your local authority is not already signed up to NI188 you may consider speaking to the relevant department to encourage them to do so. Even if your authority does not have NI188 as one of the top 35 indicators in its Local Area Agreement, all local authorities are required to report on progress against all indicators (including NI188) as part of the Audit Commission's Comprehensive Area Assessment.

The indicator is process based, which allows authorities and partners to measure progress in adapting to climate change over four levels. The levels range from identifying the priority areas for adaptation through to developing and maintaining an adaptation action plan.

For more detail, see Defra’s introductory pages on NI188

For detailed guidance on delivery, see the LGA’s guidance notes

To help you understand the requirements of NI188 you may wish to refer to a series of case studies which are categorised according to the NI188 process. This document contains 27 case studies, 3 from each region under several adaptation themes. A summary with a few extracts from the case studies is included at the front for those who want a short overview. To view click here

The SWCCIP website has a dedicated Local Area Agreement NI188 page and a case study page (including some local authority examples of adaptation) which are continually being updated.