Many of the impacts of climate change are now locked in and the health consequences for vulnerable populations are likely to be significant. What steps should be taken to prepare for this? Discussions with stakeholders across the UK, including councils, the National Health Service, emergency services and other local service providers showed that there was an urgent need for local decision makers to have access to the latest climate information and scientific studies to make informed decisions about appropriate adaptations. Stakeholders urgently need: access to local future climate models; clear guidance on appropriate adaptation, that is evidence based; guided access to the evidence base; and support to work across traditional boundaries. The use of health outcomes to drive decision-making provided a common currency

The Local Climate Adaptation Tool (LCAT) was developed by the University of Exeter and partners in order to offer decision makers data and evidence to not only understand, but to plan for the future climate. The tool is free and open source, and is aimed at helping councils, the National Health Service and emergency services as well as local service providers to understand what is likely to happen and to prioritize their climate adaptation approaches. The tool, which is in the prototype stage, brings together complex climate models, adaptation options and health impact evidence to help users understand the health implications of climate change in their local area. Importantly, LCAT also generates recommendations for appropriate adaptation approaches, based on the best available evidence, to support the health and well-being of local people. Users can select a local area of interest and see the predicted climate over the coming decades, alongside evidence on the health impacts of climate change from the scientific literature. The aim is to enable the best possible health and well-being outcomes for local people. For example, planning cycle paths with shade for hotter summer months and protection from stronger cross winds in the winter, ensures that people can continue to gain the health and well-being benefits of cycling in a changing climate.

The use of a health lens provides a common “language”, relevant to all service areas, and facilitates a multi-agency approach to adaptation planning. Key to supporting informed decision-making is a link to the evidence base. The tool identifies key, published evidence on health and well-being outcomes to support the recommendations and advice it will generate. Climate change impacts are not felt equally, as many people are more vulnerable due to personal, social and environmental factors. Furthermore, climate change is likely to increase current inequalities. Stakeholders involved in the co-design of LCAT have consistently voiced their concerns about deepening inequality and, as such, LCAT is being developed to provide data sets on vulnerable groups. Using insight and data from Climate Just,139 as well as data from the UK indices of multiple deprivation, LCAT supports decision makers to identify who is vulnerable and therefore take a more equitable approach to planning adaptations.

The tool is being developed in stages. As it is developed further, updated iterations will be published, with more data, content and evidence. The current version (as of November 2022) is a prototype. Using the third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022 (CCRA3)140 as its starting point, and in consultation with stakeholders, the key risk areas for inclusion in LCAT have been identified as: heat, flooding and drought, extreme storms, coastal security and ocean system changes, and personal security, such as food or energy supply. As of February 2023, the prototype health impact maps explore heat (and cold) as well as test the methodology that is being used for the mapping. The other risks will be added by mid-2023.

LCAT offers decision makers integrated data and evidence to understand future climate conditions and make locally informed multisectoral planning choices.