Climate Adaptation Policy and Evidence

Evidence-based policymaking is often promoted within liberal democracies as the best means for government to balance political values with technical considerations. Under the evidence-based mandate, both experts and non-experts often assume that policy problems are sufficiently tractable and that experts can provide impartial and usable advice to government so that problems like climate change adaptation can be effectively addressed; at least, where there is political will to do so. This book compares the politics and science informing climate adaptation policy in Australia and the UK to understand how realistic these expectations are in practice.

Peter Tangney is a Lecturer in Science Policy and Communication at Flinders University, Australia

Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Science, Evidence and Public Policy Chapter 3. Queensland, Australia and the UK: Comparing the pursuit of climate adaptation in liberal democracies Chapter 4. Climate adaptation evidence for policy Chapter 5. Knowledge systems for sustainability Chapter 6. Perceptions of the usefulness and usability of climate science and evidence for policy Chapter 7. The politicisation and scientisation of climate risk management Chapter 8. Evidence needs for adaptation policymaking Chapter 9. Reconciling tensions between experts, evidence and politics