Councillors to agree plans for building resilience to impacts of climate change

The Transport & Sustainability Committee will meet next week to agree plans to help the city adapt to flooding, high temperatures, drought, and other local threats of climate change. 

The Climate Adaptation report provides an update on adaptation work to date that has helped to make the city, its residents, communities, infrastructure, and economy more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events.

The report also proposes next steps to take forward climate adaptation actions to reinforce Brighton & Hove’s resilience to the local impacts of climate change. 

Alongside the climate adaptation report, the committee will also consider a report on the council’s Strategic Risk Register. The report recommends a change in approach to managing strategic risk on climate change. 

The report sets out the rationale for splitting this risk into two distinct elements: one focused on delivery of the Carbon Neutral 2030 Programme, and a second focused on actions to help the city adapt to the climate and biodiversity crises.

Protecting people, businesses, and the environment

Councillor Trevor Muten, Chair of the Transport & Sustainability Committee, said: “We’re continuously seeing the impact of climate change locally, with increasingly regular storms resulting in flooded streets and homes at threat, power outages and damage to businesses in the city. 

“We need to do everything we can to ensure Brighton & Hove is more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events. 

“The findings of this report and proposed actions will help to pave the way for a focused, data-driven plan to enable us to respond to the very real threat that climate change poses to the city. 

“A new approach is needed to take on the challenge we face. This is why we now plan step up at scale by working in partnership with businesses and communities to decarbonise and deliver net zero.

“There are other benefits of climate adaptation actions. Reducing heat exposure in Brighton & Hove will improve public health and wellbeing, while more resilient homes and renewable energy sources can reduce the effects of fuel poverty. 

“This means that building resilience to climate change through climate adaptation can help to protect local people, businesses, and the natural and built environment in Brighton & Hove.”

Local climate risk

In 2023, we commissioned a climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) to better understand how climate change is affecting the city and to inform our approach to climate adaptation. 

The key risks to Brighton & Hove identified in the CRVA are:

  • High temperatures
  • Water scarcity
  • Drought 
  • Increased seasonal soil water saturation
  • Sea level rise
  • Groundwater, coastal and surface water flooding
  • Coastal erosion
  • Slope and embankment failure
  • Extreme weather events

The study also includes an adaptation action plan and an urban heat island map. 

Climate adaptation 

To tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies locally, we need to put in place strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

Climate mitigation focuses on reducing emissions from greenhouse gases to prevent the planet from warming to more extreme temperatures. 

Climate adaptation means adjusting behaviours or processes to the current or expected effects and impacts of climate change. This could include building flood defences, incorporating raingardens to manage surface water flooding, switching to drought-resistant plants, establishing tree coverage to provide shade, and using heat reflective paint to help keep homes and buildings cool during hot periods. 

Preparing and adapting the city to the impacts of climate change is a key priority for the council.

Adaptation Action Plan 

The Adaptation Action Plan summarises the council’s existing climate adaptation projects and recommends further adaptation actions for the council to implement based on the findings of the CRVA. 

These actions are suggestions that can be customised and used as guidance for future projects. They have been informed by internal and external stakeholders through a series of engagement sessions.

Examples of recommended actions from the Adaptation Action Plan include: 

  • Developing a council-led programme for climate adaptation
  • Developing a land and marine environment plan that embeds climate adaptation
  • Developing a climate adaptation toolkit to help local businesses manage their climate risks

Urban Heat Island Map

The Urban Heat Island Map visualises the most heat exposed areas of Brighton & Hove to help us better understand heat variations across the city.

Urban heat islands occur when natural land cover is replaced with dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat. This can increase energy costs for air conditioning, air pollution levels, and heat-related illnesses. 

As a coastal city, the urban heat island effect in Brighton is less extreme, but this map shows the areas of the city with the highest heat exposure where shading strategies may be best placed.

The Urban Heat Island Map can inform future projects such as tree planting strategies, city infrastructure planning, and drinking fountain locations.

For more information, read the 6 February Transport & Sustainability Committee Climate Adaptation report (agenda item 70).