Forthcoming change: climate change adaptation update
Updated 16 October 2025
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Description: climate change adaptation TAG update.
Unit: TAG: transport appraisal process
Change announced: October 2025
Expected release date: December 2025
Description
The update is intended to encourage TAG users to proportionately consider the effects of climate change and climate adaptation in the analysis of options assessments.
Detail
We are including the following 2 new sections in the TAG transport appraisal process unit.
Understanding the future situation, 2.4.4
It is important that climate change is considered within the appraisal of transport interventions. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in global and regional climate patterns and poses risks to UK transport by damaging infrastructure, disrupting services and compromising safety (for further information, see DfT’s Transport hazard summaries). Climate adaptation is the process of adjusting to climate change and its effects.
While climate adaptation may not be the primary purpose of an intervention, consideration should be given to climate adaptation measures that can be deployed to:
- improve the reliability and safety of transport interventions
- reduce damage costs and ensure long-term savings through avoided losses
- achieve wider social and environmental benefits
For further information see the triple dividend of resilience in Accounting for the effects of climate change.
Climate change impacts, 2.10.13
Analysts should consider the available evidence to proportionately examine how climate change may affect the success of potential options.
This includes exposure to acute climate hazards such as flooding, extreme heat and drought and chronic climate risks such as sea level rise, gradual temperature change and shifting weather patterns. Where appropriate, Defra’s climate screening questions and DfT’s Climate risk assessment guidance for the transport sector can be used.
The assessment of potential options should take into account options that are resilient to climate change by exploring possible climate adaptation solutions (examples available in Accounting for the effects of climate change).
Contact
For further information on this guidance update, please contact:
Transport Appraisal and Strategic Modelling (TASM) division
Department for Transport
Zone 2/25 Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 4DR