This report provides an independent evaluation of the first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) including the broader context, underlining objectives and outputs of the study. The review draws on several sources of evidence: literature addressing aspects of climate risk assessment, including work by other countries; semi-structured interviews and consultations with key actors who were directly involved in the CCRA or are potential end-users; documentation related to the management and advice surrounding CCRA; and the range of outputs published from CCRA.

The material addresses several important questions surrounding the architecture of the CCRA, the effectiveness of the UK approach (compared with methods used by other countries), and the role played by risk assessment within a broader enabling environment for adaptation in the UK.