A report out today from The Climate Change Committee says that better cooling, flood protection and a more secure water supply as the most critical priorities to protect the UK from the three biggest climate risks – heat, flooding and drought.
The report says that we are already seeing disruption today and without action these risks will escalate.
By 2050, 92% of homes are likely to overheat, peak river flows will be up to 45% higher and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day.
The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of acting now. The Committee’s proposals require investment of around £11 billion a year, split broadly evenly between public and private funding.
Without adaptation the cost of climate change to public welfare is predicted to rise to between 1-5% of UK GDP by 2050 under a 2°C global warming level, equivalent to £60-£260 billion per year.
The report recommends investing in cooling, including air conditioning, heat pumps and green shading ,across key public services.
The Government should commit to a national maximum temperature for workplaces to protect workers’ safety and incentivise the deployment of cooling.
There should the report adds be Long‑term investment in measures such as flood defences, effective emergency response,and in natural solutions such as wetlands and recommends maintaining a strong regulatory focus on drought, scaling up sustainable water storage, accelerating leakage reduction and cut demand.
All new homes they say should be water efficient from the outset.
Baroness Brown, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, said:
“Our lives, our landscapes and our homes are under increasing pressure from the changing climate. But we are not powerless. In an increasingly unstable world, being well adapted to climate change is fundamental to securing our food, energy and economic security.
“This report carries a message of hope. The solutions already exist, and proven technologies are available now to help the UK adapt effectively. With the right decisions and actions, we can protect the people and the places we love.
“We can protect patients and residents in overheated hospitals and care homes, children in nurseries and schools, and communities facing repeated flooding. We can support our farmers to maintain our food supplies. We can keep sports pitches usable, high streets open for business, and iconic British music festivals running safely.
“The public want to see change and the government now has an opportunity to step up and protect our way of life.”
