Increasing the climate resilience of waste infrastructure

All economic activity in the UK is dependent on the infrastructure to supply energy and water, handle waste, move raw materials, finished goods and people around the country or internationally, and to provide the communications systems that knit the economy together. Climate change in the UK is predicted to bring increases in average temperatures and further sea-level rise, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events with potential for droughts, increased flooding, heatwaves and greater pressure on resource availability. The national infrastructure, including waste infrastructure, is vulnerable to many of these changes. This report presents the findings of a study which helps to fill the gap in knowledge relating to climate change and the waste sector, specifically by exploring the impacts of climate change on the waste sector and the potential for adaptation.