ATTENUATE – Creating the enabling conditions for UK climate adaptation investment

ATTENUATE – ‘Creating the enabling conditions for UK climate adaptation investment’ – is a collaborative project focused on unlocking private sector funding for climate adaptation, building the case for greater public sector investment, and addressing governance barriers to investment. Led by the Grantham Research Institute in collaboration with the Environment Agency, Green Finance Institute, Love Design Studio, Paul Watkiss Associates and the University of Bath, the project is funded by the UKRI-Defra ‘Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change’ programme. 

The project’s aims are to:

1. Generate economic evidence on the costs and benefits of adaptation policies 
2. Assess how government can leverage enabling environments for mobilising finance
3. Identify and tackle behavioural barriers to investment in adaptation. 

The project will produce case studies on flood risk and extreme heat, working with local and national government to develop climate adaptation options, and develop a UK Climate Adaptation Investment Framework to support future adaptation plans. The project has a strong emphasis on co-creation, also working with the public and private sectors to address barriers to investment and unlock new opportunities for adaptation finance. 

We will contribute the project’s results to future UK Climate Change Risk Assessments, the National Adaptation Programme, Local Climate Strategies, and more. The project will also enhance broader climate adaptation efforts in the UK through collaboration with the Maximising Adaptation to Climate Change Hub and contribute to the Institute’s wider work to influence climate adaptation in the UK and internationally. The project runs from March 2025 to September 2027.

News, commentaries and announcements

Research collaboration on closing the adaptation finance gap receives funding from UKRI-Defra – January 2025

Project partners

Katie Spooner, Environment Agency 
Ingrid Holmes, Green Finance Institute
Andy Love, Love Design Studio
Paul Watkiss and Kit England, Paul Watkiss Associates 
Alistair Hunt, University of Bath