The Vale of Glamorgan Public Services Board Climate Change Risk Assessment
The Vale of Glamorgan Public Services Board (PSB) has published its local Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), setting out the most significant climate risks facing the area now and in the future.
Climate change and the nature emergency present complex challenges that cannot be addressed by any single organisation. Through strong partnership working, the PSB assessed 44 climate risks through an intensive, multi-stage process involving a diverse range of stakeholders.
This CCRA provides a shared evidence base to inform urgent, coordinated adaptation across the Vale. It marks the beginning of an ongoing process to monitor, learn from and respond to climate risks as they evolve, helping to strengthen services and operations over time.
The assessment considers climate risks across five key themes:
- Health and wellbeing
- Built environment
- Infrastructure
- Economy
- Land, nature and food
The assessment draws on local experience of recent extreme weather events, including winter storms, heatwaves and flooding. This has helped ensure the findings reflect not only projected climate risks, but also the real-world impacts already affecting communities and services across the Vale.
The report highlights where climate impacts are already being felt across the Vale, and where risks are expected to intensify in the years ahead.
Key findings:
- Over 60% of identified climate risks require urgent action or further investigation.
- 13 priority risks have been identified where the PSB can meaningfully influence outcomes.
- Climate change is expected to have uneven social impacts, including effects on mental health, climate anxiety and social isolation, particularly for vulnerable groups.
The findings will inform the PSB’s next Well-being Assessment and Well-being Plan, helping partners work together to strengthen resilience and prepare local services for a changing climate.
The full report is available here
‘I am proud of the work that has been undertaken by PSB partners to produce the Climate Change Risk Assessment for the Vale. This has been a valuable exercise and one that we will build on as we continue to develop our knowledge of the issues, the impacts on our communities and the implications for service delivery. This assessment highlights the importance of working in partnership and the benefits of pooling knowledge and expertise. I would like to thank all those who participated in the assessment including JBA consultants who supported us on this project.’
Cllr Lis Burnett, Chair of the Vale PSB and Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council
“This report is a strong example of what true collaboration can achieve. It marks the beginning of building climate resilience across the Vale—something that cannot be delivered by any one organisation alone. Cross-sector working, open dialogue, and the inclusion of community voices have been vital in shaping a shared understanding that climate change is not a distant risk—it is already affecting our people, services and places. We must continue to work together.
Like Lis, I am proud of what has been achieved by PSB partners with support from JBA Consulting. I am increasingly encouraged by the strong partnership foundations we have built and would like to give special thanks to everyone who was involved. I look forward to seeing this work continue to grow—strengthening climate resilience across the Vale in the years ahead.”
David Letellier, Head of Operations for South Central Wales Area, Natural Resources Wales
Public Services Boards in Wales are required to undertake a CCRA under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. With support from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, the Vale PSB appointed JBA Consulting and worked closely with partners to deliver this comprehensive and accessible assessment.
The PSB would like to thank everyone who contributed to this work. Their input has brought together a wide range of knowledge, expertise and lived experience to support this important assessment.
By undertaking the assessment, the PSB is taking a vital step to safeguard the Vale’s communities, services and natural assets. The findings will guide collective action and help ensure climate resilience is embedded across local decision-making.