Case studies

Councils are striving to meet net-zero targets while navigating the complexities of residual emissions.

In 2024 Southwark Council adopted a Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy as an extension of their existing Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2021). The strategy aims to prepare the borough for the impacts of climate change while addressing inequalities.

Climate action, including adaptation, is framed as a key political priority and championed by the lead Cabinet Member.

An internal cross-department working group was set up to focus specifically on heat risk. The group initially brought together officers from Communications, Facilities Management and Library Services, Education, Housing, Parks, Emergency Response, Climate, Public Health and Adult and Social care to consider key heat related risks and past responses.

Ealing took a partnership approach to strengthening borough-wide climate resilience and enabling stakeholders to implement adaptation measures.

Brent’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CARP) in July 2022 outlined the key climate risks facing the borough, including flooding, heatwaves, drought and extreme cold.

Hammersmith & Fulham worked with AtkinsRealis to conduct a climate risk assessment of services and the wider borough and used this to inform a climate adaptation strategy.

Haringey’s Carbon Management and Public Health teams aimed to set out the impacts of more frequent and severe heatwaves on health and wellbeing and to highlight residents’ needs in this context.

Hackney’s first Citizens’ Climate Jury in Spring 2025 engaged 15 randomly selected residents.

The City of London Environmental Resilience Team is responsible for two adaptation workstreams at the City Corporation including the programme to mainstream climate resilience across services.