Rachel holds an MSc in Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Climate Adaptation Toolkit and Risk and Opportunities Matrix
Rachel Toresen – Owuor
30 Jul 2026
Introduction
With recent heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts highlighting the growing impacts of climate change, it’s more important than ever for councils to understand and prepare for climate risks. Explore our two newly updated climate adaptation resources, both revised and refreshed to reflect the CCC’s Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk (CCRA4-IA).
The UK Government has committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and 70% of local authorities in the UK have declared a climate emergency. Net zero cannot be achieved without adaptation.
Adaptation (in climate change context) is otherwise known as resilience or preparedness. Resilience is the ambition, adaptation is the method.
We need to adapt to the challenges that arise from the significant climate impacts we are facing in the UK, and take advantage of the opportunities.
Risk and Opportunities Matrix
Following user feedback we have updated the previously named risk register generator.
Conclusion
The Climate Adaptation Toolkit is a five-step process designed to help you prepare for the impacts the current and future climate could have on your authority, your residents, and the services you provide. [originally developed by the former UKCIP]
This toolkit has been structured to guide you through each stage of developing a strategy and action plan for adaptation, as a facilitation tool that seeks to bridge the technical guidance from the CCRA3 and the practicalities of local government. It has been designed for use at a team, service or organisational level.
Each stage outlines what you can do, what information you need to gather, some guiding questions, and how to record the information.
This toolkit is intended to be read and used alongside other existing guidance documents and tools, including the Met Office Local Authority Climate Service to aid you develop your understanding of climate risk and resilience for your organisation. A list of resources is included.
Risk and Opportunities Matrix
The Risk and Opportunities Matrix has been updated (July 2026) to include the 41 risks and 2 opportunities in the CCRA4, and to be more user friendly. It provides a holistic view of these risks mapped against the different council service areas, authority types and who they are a risk to. You can filter this matrix as you wish to see which risks are applicable to your authority type and service area.
It also includes more supporting information, with links, questions for consideration, summaries of risks by people and place service areas, a few examples, to aid you in your discussions and creation of your own risk registers. A blank risk register is included, for you to edit as you wish.
In the toolkit – refreshed and updated links and resources, aligned to the information in the CCC’s Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk (CCRA4-IA).
Updates in the risk matrix:
- CCRA4 risks – 41 risks, 2 opportunities
- Supporting information – links to resources to help you with your risk identification
- Risk Matrix_People and Place: A summary of climate related-risks and responsibilities by people and place service areas against each CCRA4 risk
- Additional fields in the risk register – they don’t all have to be included but they are options there for you to consider and discuss; risk source, risk ownership, risk impact, risk management, and longevity of decision has been given a scale of 1 – 5, to help you consider and score.
- Separate tab with explanation of the fields in the risk register, with questions to consider in your discussions
- Example risk register with 4 example risks
- Blank risk register for you to edit as you see fit
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