BATH & North East Somerset Council is stepping up action to prepare its services for the growing impacts of climate change.

Recent periods of extreme heat and storms have reinforced the urgency to act faster and strengthen resilience with extreme weather no longer a rare event.

A Climate Resilient Council Update report will be scrutinised by councillors on July 9. It highlights the completion of a corporate climate risk assessment involving more than 70 staff across council services.

It has identified key risks and set out the action needed to better protect services and communities, and says that without further action, the council faces rising risks, higher costs and more disruption for residents.

Practical changes are already under way within frontline teams, including waste crews and care staff, to adapt workplaces and practices based on their day-to-day experiences of working in more extreme weather.

However, the assessment found that while some services are already adapting, this is often small‑scale and reactive. Stronger coordination, investment and long-term planning will be needed to keep pace with the scale of the challenge.

Next steps will link to national guidance and feed into the new Climate & Nature Strategy, while proposals and investment plans will be developed over the next 12 to 18 months.

Deputy leader and cabinet member for sustainable Bath and North East Somerset, Cllr Sarah Warren, said: “Climate change is already affecting our services and communities, and the impacts are becoming more frequent and more severe.

“We need to act now to make sure our services are resilient, protect vulnerable residents and avoid higher costs in the future.

“We’re taking practical steps to build that resilience, but we know we need to go further and faster.

“Cutting emissions remains essential, but we must also prepare for the impacts that are already happening.

“Acting early means we can reduce risks and protect residents.”