Defra: Programme of research on preparedness, adaptation and risk (PREPARE)

This major research programme was delivered by a consortium of Ipsos, Ricardo-AEA, Alexander Ballard Ltd, the University of Leeds and a panel of experts in climate change adaptation. Its aim was to inform the policies described in a UK government report on adapting to the effects of climate change, which was laid before parliament in July 2013. The first report on the National Adaptation Programme (NAP) sets out what government, businesses, communities and civil society are doing to prepare for and adapt to climate change. The research programme, called PREPARE, produced a number of significant studies which will help government to design the types of policies and services described in the NAP. The objectives of the PREPARE research programme were wide-ranging. They included improving understanding of the barriers and enablers to organizational and sectoral adaptive capacity in the UK and investigating the climate risk resilience and adaptation expectations of the public. The main elements of the study were: 1. Climate risk acceptability: A multi-method study to understand how the public conceptualise risk and whether they believe society should prepare for and adapt to its consequences. It included:

   - A quantitative online survey with a nationally representative sample of 2,007 adults across the UK;

   - 14 qualitative workshops with the public to understand perceptions of climate risk

2. Barriers and enablers to organisational and sectoral adaptive capacity - quantitative study: A telephone survey of a range of organisations - including businesses, health authorities, local authorities, educational establishments, and third sector organisations – on awareness of the impacts of climate change, and the degree to which organisations have taken action to prepare for its consequences

3. Barriers and enablers to organisational and sectoral adaptive capacity - qualitative study: Depth interviews with selected organisations (from those that completed phase 2 of the research) to understand what hinders, and what might help, the development of adaptive capacity of organisations in Britain - the extent to which they are able to make well-informed, long-term decisions that will make them more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The research produced unique and new insights of perceptions of acceptability of risk, stated action and expectations of the public and a range of different organisations. The findings will help contribute to the successful implementation of the UK Government’s National Adaptation Programme, and should also inform ongoing research, debate and decisions on adaptation by many stakeholders.

Downloads

• Download the full reports from the Defra website.

Technical note

• The quantitative survey was conducted with 2,007 adults aged 18+ between 30th January and 5th February 2013. The interviews were conducted online with members of Ipsos’s online panel. Data were weighted to provide nationally representative results.

• Fourteen qualitative workshops were held between 16th February and 9th March 2013 in a range of locations that were chosen to reflect different types of communities and areas facing different climate challenges in the UK. Nine were held across England, two in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. The workshops lasted six hours with 9 to 12 local participants attending each. In total, 147 local residents attended the workshops, each of which was moderated by Ipsos researchers.

• The survey, conducted by Ipsos, interviewed selected types of organisations for which adaptation is likely to be more relevant. In total, it covered 2,241 businesses, 75 local authorities, 50 health authorities, 50 third sector organisations, and 101 educational establishments.

• 73 telephone interviews were conducted by Ipsos and Alexander Ballard with respondents to the main telephone survey of organisations. Interviews were conducted with the personal responsible for planning and risk management.