Recommendations for the UK National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) have been published by the UK Climate Resilience Programme. The report is the culmination of 18 months of work engaging with over 80 individuals from over 60 organisations across the UK. It summarises the elements of Climate Services already present in the UK that are required for an effective UK NFCS, and recommends a structural framework to ensure that this work is well coordinated moving forward.
Suraje Dessai, Professor of Climate Change Adaptation at the University of Leeds and UK Climate Resilience co-Champion said: “The recommendations report articulates options for what a UK National Framework for Climate Services might look like, including possible roles for a range of stakeholders. This is a very exciting time for climate services in the UK, we are on the cusp of bringing the community together to make a real difference.”
Recommended structural framework of the UK NFCS based on three priority domains and a central hub
Recommendations
As detailed in the report, the UK’s framework for climate services should:
- Provide a driving force and mechanism for the pull-through and implementation of new data, knowledge and practices, aligned with national adaptation and resilience priorities.
- Enable knowledge exchange by building a UK community to link up different actors, promoting common language and understanding.
- Establish and promote good practice, quality standards, and ethical practices within the UK community, as well as engage internationally and offer leadership where appropriate through partnership and collaboration.
This will ensure continuity and will improve the co-production, tailoring, delivery and use of science-based climate information and services to deliver socioeconomic benefits and make the UK more resilient and prepared for climate-related impacts.
Professor Jason Lowe OBE, Head of Climate Services at the Met Office Hadley Centre, said: “Responding to the domestic challenges of extreme weather and climate change is going to involve a concerted effort geographically and across sectors. Implementing the National Framework for Climate Services offers a route to making the response as effective as possible.”
Call for members of UKNFCS Central Hub Group
The final months of this project will involve collecting expressions of interest from the community to be involved in the UK NFCS Central Hub group, with the aim of co-developing a roadmap for implementing the recommendations for the UK NCFS. If you would like to be kept informed of further developments in this arena, or would like to express your interest in becoming a member of the UKNFCS Central Hub group, please fill out this form by 16th December 2022.