Climate adaptation in focus: Supporting a resilient society
This event is free and open to all.
Extreme weather in 2026 has underlined the importance of all parts of our society adapting to a changing climate in order to protect public health and wellbeing. Join us for a dedicated discussion on climate adaptation, exploring how we can prepare for the growing risks of extreme heat and how social science insights can support better adaptation.
Presentations include (more tba!):
- Putting people at the centre of UK climate adaptation and resilience - This session will share insights from the recently published report (Putting people at the centre of UK climate adaptation and resilience), considering how adaptation is also a social process shaped by people's experiences, vulnerabilities, behaviours and decision making. Drawing on practical case studies from across the UK, the webinar will explore how social science insights can improve adaptation outcomes, help identify and address vulnerabilities, and deliver wider social, economic, and environmental benefits.
This event is part of a series of online events on climate adaptation being held to coincide with the UNFCCC's COP31, taking place in Türkiye. Adapting to climate change is a social imperative and must be done in tandem with effective climate mitigation measures to increase resilience across all aspects of our environmental, social, and economic systems. These events aim to bring together environmental professionals to discuss the importance of climate adaptation and consider how it relates to their areas of work and professional practice. The events have been supported by the Climate Action Community. The other two Climate Adaptation in Focus events are on future-proofing our waters and coasts and managing risks on contaminated land sites.
Our speakers
Professor Irene Lorenzoni, Professor of Society and Environmental Change at the University of East Anglia and co-chair of the ACCESS Adaptation and Resilience Task Force. Her research focuses on how people understand and respond to environmental change, including the social and governance dimensions of climate adaptation and resilience.
Dr Rory Walshe, Senior social science advisor at the UK Government Office for Science and co-chair of the of the ACCESS Adaptation and Resilience Task Force. He specialises in climate adaptation, community vulnerability and resilience, disaster risk reduction, and the role of local culture and knowledge.
More tba!
About the Climate Action Community
Our interdisciplinary Climate Action Community (CAC) champions transformative approaches to reshaping unsustainable systems. We recognise that climate change cannot be addressed in isolation but requires solutions that address the interlinked challenges of biodiversity loss and pollution.
The Community holds regular events, discussions, and biannual Community meetings covering adaptation, mitigation and resilience. It also engages with key organisations and initiatives across the sector, including UNFCCC, ISO and the Professional Bodies Climate Action Network.
Header image credit © Alisdair Hickson via Wikimedia Commons
