Resilience to Climate Change in the Telecoms Sector

This report is submitted by Ofcom to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and focuses on the resilience of the telecommunications sector to climate change. It outlines Ofcom's interest in ensuring the availability of communication services in the UK while addressing climate risks. The report discusses the engagement with major telecom firms to understand their views on climate adaptation, highlighting that firms do not currently see a significant threat from climate change but acknowledge increasing risks over time. Key barriers to adaptation include coordination challenges and the need for collaboration across sectors. The report also details Ofcom's approach to climate change, emphasizing enablement, decarbonization, and resilience, and describes the guidance provided to telecom providers regarding network resilience. Additionally, it summarizes industry practices for integrating climate risks into business processes and the frameworks used for risk assessment, including the assignment of climate risk ownership within organizations.