The Local Climate Adaptation Tool which has been developed by a team from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, in partnership with Cornwall Council, has won the Sustainability of the Year Initiative, awarded by Socitm.

LCAT is an innovative tool that gives local areas the best available evidence in making decisions and identifying actions required to adapt to a changing climate. It has been developed by a team from the University of Exeter and Cornwall Council, with input from more than 50 other local authority areas across the UK and multiple sectors from health to housing.

The annual Socitm awards are presented to people and organisations that have excelled in the past year and are presented during the annual gala dinner of the first day of Socitm’s President’s Conference.

Emma Bland, Associate Professor, European Centre for Environment and Human Health commented,

“We are delighted to receive this award. LCAT was co-designed with local decision-makers across the four nations of the UK and it is their insight and advice that shaped the design. They told us they needed a simple online tool that brought together all the data and advice they might need to understand how local climates will change, what the climate impacts might be for their communities and, crucially, what action to take. With limited adaptation action happening across the UK, LCAT provides support to local decision-makers in their work to support action and build healthy and resilient communities.”

The Socitm judges outlined that the Sustainability Award highlights a fantastic example of a project making a positive impact on the environment and making an impact to society. This award salutes organisations making significant strides in sustainability, showcasing governance, stakeholder engagement, and the transformative journey toward embedding sustainability from top to bottom.

The formal nomination process allowed the wider public, private and third sector organisations, alongside Socitm members and colleagues to nominate deserved candidates across these categories. The judging panel for this category was Socitm’s Trustees alongside Socitm’s Executive Management Team.

Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change Cllr Martyn Alvey said,

“It’s vital that our officers and decision makers have access to the latest evidence and are supported in planning for a changing climate and LCAT gives them the latest information at their fingertips.  This might be to understand the impact of extreme temperatures on Cornwall’s residents, to identify where and who is likely to be worst affected by flooding, and to plan geographically where to prioritise adaptation actions.

“The tool will form a key resource in the development of the Cornwall Adaptation Strategy and Community Resilience and Adaptation Plans and we are delighted that it is receiving national recognition highlighting the support it can offer other local authorities.”

The LCAT team have also recently released a new guide called Introduction to Climate Adaptation which is a quick learning aid for local decision-makers, co-created with Oxfordshire County Council and UK wide decision-makers. It helps overcome one of the key barriers to action – a lack of knowledge and skills.