- Minimise the risk of disruption to council services and make contingency plans.
- Prepare for inflation as a result of climate change.
- Protect staff, buildings and assets from the effects of climate change.
- Minimise harm to plants and wildlife in parks and on the council estate.
- Prepare for disruption to the supply chains the council depends on.
Aim 4: Prepare for the impacts of climate change
Impacts on the council
Things the council has already done:
- added climate change to its Strategic Risk Register
- made changes to the management of parks, for example by considering climate impacts when deciding what to plant
- invested in IT systems and developed procedures to allow service delivery to continue using remote working, even if staff can’t come to the office
Key objectives
Priority actions
F1. Develop a council climate change risk assessment and a detailed mitigation plan.
F2. Include climate risks and contingencies and resulting pressures on specific teams, in the budget-setting process, service risk registers and the Strategic Risk Register and make plans to ensure service continuity.
F3. Make sure council buildings and insurance policies are adapted for climate change.
F4. Work with suppliers to keep costs low and improve climate resilience, and include climate-related risks in procurement processes.
F5. Make plans to protect staff from extreme weather and new diseases and provide support for mental and physical health.
Embedding the principles
Co-benefits
These activities will also support:
- service resilience – by making sure the council is well-prepared for a range of emergencies
- biodiversity – by protecting plants and wildlife from climate change
- staff health – by making sure that staff health and wellbeing continues to be supported
Monitoring
Suitable metrics are to be identified through the risk assessment (action F1 above).
Impacts on the borough
Things the council has already done:
- included policies in the new Local Plan to prevent development in areas which will be at high flood risk and promote Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
- created plans to deal with a range of emergency scenarios and produced advice for the public and businesses though the Joint Emergency Planning Unit (run jointly with West Berkshire and Windsor and Maidenhead councils)
Key objectives
- Protect residents and buildings from the effects of climate change wherever possible.
- Mitigate the risk of wildfires and water shortages, and protect ecosystems.
- Help the borough prepare for disruption to utilities and essential services.
- Strengthen food security and local food production to reduce risk of food shortages.
- Prevent or mitigate harm to the local economy from climate change.
- Support residents facing financial hardship caused by climate change.
Priority actions
G1. Conduct a climate change risk assessment for Bracknell Forest as a place (ideally as part of a cross-Berkshire assessment) and create a plan to mitigate identified risks.
G2. Upgrade local drainage and flood prevention infrastructure, and prepare the road network for climate impacts.
G3. Conduct focused work with vulnerable residents to improve their resilience, and be ready to deploy extra support to keep them safe in emergencies.
G4. Support and encourage local production of sustainable food.
Embedding the principles
Just transition
People who are already facing disadvantage or marginalisation will often be at greater risk of climate impacts, so our adaptation work will need to be sensitive to the different needs and risk profiles of different groups.
Co-benefits
These activities will also support:
- equity and inclusion – by helping protect vulnerable residents from climate impacts
- local agriculture – by involving people in food production and promoting local food
- financial resilience – by tackling deprivation and supporting residents facing hardship
Monitoring
Suitable metrics are to be identified through the risk assessment (action G1 above).