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Understanding the value of the Adaptation Reporting Power process

The second round of Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) reporting is now complete with 59 reports submitted to Defra from 86 organisations. These reports summarise the current and future predicted effects of climate change on organisations responsible for essential services and those with functions of a public nature, and their proposals for adaptation responses.

The ARCC network was interested in exploring with organisations the effectiveness and potential value of the ARP reporting experience to the organisations themselves and to identify research and knowledge exchange requirements to support future reporting rounds. Defra was interested in such independently-gathered information to help identify ways in which future ARP rounds can be directed to make them of greatest benefit.

The work was carried out to supplement the overall review process, with Defra examining the use of the reports by government and the Adaptation Sub-Committee looking at how the reports support climate change policy cycles.

Our additional short paper draws on the interviews and ARP2 reports to enhance the evidence gaps identified in CCRA2. It highlights the view that addressing research requirements should be a rolling process providing up-to-date scientific knowledge and evidence to inform action, rather than meeting particular deadlines, for example, subsequent ARP rounds or CCRA reports.