Floods in UK
The UK government revealed that it is unprepared to deal with changes occurring to the climate.
A report by the independent Climate Change Committee predicts warming will hit the UK harder than first thought. It warns of more severe heatwaves, especially in big cities, and more intense rainfall, with an increased flood risk across most of the UK.
It says homes, infrastructure and services must be made resilient to floods, heat and humid nights.
The authors of the report on adaptation, or “climate-proofing”, warn that global warming can cause damage running into tens of billions of pounds over short periods – and they say they’re frustrated at the lack of government action.
The committee, also known as the CCC, says the UK is even worse prepared than it was five years ago, at the time of its last report on the risks of climate change.
The chairwoman of the CCC’s sub-committee on adaptation, Baroness Brown, said ministers appear to be prevented from taking action by the upfront costs of protecting infrastructure. This is because the benefits sometimes are not seen for several years.
“They think they can put adaptation off until tomorrow,” she said. “But now’s the time for urgent action.”
Responding to the report’s findings, a government spokesman said many of the issues raised were being addressed in policy.
Here’s what the CCC says that the government must do to better prepare for the impacts of climate change:
