With the increased threat from climate change worsening the climatic risks and conditions faced by the UK, greater attention was placed on how local councils were responding to this shift in mitigation to adaptation being seen as more important. With research into adaptation responses often occurring on a national scale, this research aimed to address the gap into how local councils implement places- based policies. This research explored how local councils were adhering to the UK national adaptation policy through a case study-based approach using two Lincolnshire councils of Northeast Lincolnshire Council and North Kesteven District Council.
In order to research into local council’s place-based adaptation policies a mixed- methods approach was adopted involving a 16-question online questionnaire and discourse analysis. Discourse analysis was conducted on 13 different documents for both Northeast Lincolnshire Council and North Kesteven District Council, with these different documents being divided into 3 themes of their path to net zero, their climate strategy and action plan and their flooding policies. The adoption of both discourse analysis and a questionnaire within this research enabled results to be drawn from two differing perspectives with one being what can be perceived as being done vs the reality of what is being done.
This research revealed that these case study councils were in line with the NAP, however there are variation in their adaptation policies which can be linked to several different factors. While these case study councils were in line with the NAP, there are several barriers which need addressing as these are affecting the case study councils’ abilities to achieve the national adaptation policy.
Despite this research providing an insight into how councils within Lincolnshire are responding to climate adaptation and how in-line they are with the national responses. It has also revealed how further research is needed into more areas of the UK to get a wider view of what these councils are really doing in their attempts to respond to climate change.
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