Event Round-Up: Building a Resilient UK: Investment and Action
Following on from techUK’s Climate Resilience Campaign Week, this session brought together experts to explore how technology and infrastructure projects can enhance the UK’s resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.
Featuring insights from the National Infrastructure Commission and PwC, the discussion covered sector interdependencies, private sector investment, and the role of digitalisation in improving infrastructure resilience.
Key Takeaways
The UK's resilience to climate change
The need for improved interdependencies between sectors was highlighted, with concerns that current practices do not fully account for how different industries impact one another. A key issue raised was the lack of updated engineering standards that reflect future climate conditions, creating vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Additionally, the cost of maintaining infrastructure services in the face of climate change remains largely unknown, making long-term planning difficult.
Evolution of climate resilience strategies
The UK's approach to climate resilience has evolved, driven by greater awareness of climate risks and increased investment in flood risk management for instance. Extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods have underscored the importance of resilience planning. Significant investment has been directed towards national flood risk assessment, and there was a strong emphasis on maintaining and adapting existing infrastructure, in addition to new building, given that much of it will still be in use by 2050.
Private sector investment in climate tech
The discussion highlighted concerns that physical climate risks are not being taken seriously enough at the corporate level, with many businesses focusing on insurable events rather than broader operational risks. The importance of understanding supply chain resilience was emphasised, noting that businesses must assess the stability of their key suppliers and customers. There was also recognition of the growing role of corporate venture capital in scaling climate technologies, which is a positive trend in increasing private sector engagement.
Barriers to implementing effective strategies
One of the major challenges identified was the absence of a clear target for climate resilience, unlike net zero, which has well-defined goals. Without clear metrics, it was considered difficult to measure progress or prioritise action. Additionally, the need for greater public engagement on resilience was raised, as there is often an assumption that infrastructure services will continue without disruption, despite the growing costs and challenges of maintaining them in a changing climate. This was regarded as a crucial conversation that is not being had with the public at the moment.
The role of technology in improving resilience
Technology was identified as a critical enabler of climate resilience. An example highlighted was within the electricity sector, where digital systems for monitoring and automating demand reduction are seen as essential for enhancing resilience while reducing the need for new infrastructure. Infrastructure digitalisation across sectors was also highlighted as a means to improve monitoring, identify vulnerabilities, and optimise maintenance. The potential for technology to empower communities was discussed, with examples such as using electric vehicle batteries to support local grids during outages. Ensuring the resilience of digital systems themselves was also a key point, given their growing importance to infrastructure stability.
Future of resilience in the UK
Developing clear and resilient infrastructure standards was stressed as a priority for the UK's long-term climate adaptation strategy. A shift towards viewing infrastructure as a system of interconnected sectors was considered vital for enhancing overall resilience. Despite the challenges, there was optimism about the UK’s ability to adapt through ongoing improvements in resilience planning and implementation.
Opportunities for the private sector in climate resilience
Significant opportunities were identified for the private sector in driving climate resilience, particularly within the electricity grid. The UK’s sophisticated and interconnected network presents an opportunity for investment in a resilient and green energy system, which in turn supports growing industries such as data centres. Investment in the electricity grid was also seen as a driver for job creation, both in immediate infrastructure projects and in longer-term technology development.
Public-private partnerships and collaboration
The role of public-private partnerships in climate resilience was underscored, with initiatives such as the Warm Homes program cited as examples of successful collaboration between government and industry. Expanding similar initiatives in other sectors was suggested to enhance resilience and accelerate the adoption of smart technologies.
Conclusion
The session reinforced the importance of a strategic, technology-driven approach to climate resilience. While challenges such as sector coordination, cost uncertainties, and public engagement remain, there are clear opportunities for both public and private sector stakeholders to drive meaningful change. With the right investment, policy direction, and collaboration, the UK is well-positioned for a more resilient future.