Developed by: United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) (2011)

The Adapt ME tool supplements Step 5 of UKCIP's wider Adaptation Wizard. Its main emphasis is on the process by which managers can evaluate climate change action and interventions within their organisations, including local authorities. Divided into three sections, users can work their way through “Fundamentals” (explaining the concepts), understanding the “adaptation challenges” before finally “measuring performance” with advice on establishing a baseline and which indicators are suitable.

Users are invited to prioritise the principles of the evaluation that they are conducting, including effectiveness, efficiency and accountability, amongst others. The tool refers to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affair’s, six principles of 'good' climate change action which includes ensuring that the benefits and burdens of policy are distributed equally and that actions are collaborative and open. Some of the specific questions that the tool poses are highly relevant to developing more socially just responses to climate change, covering topics associated with:

• Injustice in adaptation responses and the need to consider the principle of equity – The tool supports users to explore the potential for unequal impacts, benefits and risks across different social groups to occur as a result of planned interventions and responses. 

• Uneven voice and power in engagement – The tool supports a process of wide engagement and gathering of feedback in order to fully understand which vulnerable groups may be disproportionately affected. It also encourages consideration of how and why some people and groups have more influence on decision-making than others.  Resources explain how effective engagement leads to effective measures.

The tool is introduced on this page and includes a downloadable AdaptME report.