 key part of adapting to climate change.”
Nearly 60% of the risks and opportunities assessed in the 1,500-page report have been given the highest urgency score. The CCC identified eight priority risk areas which need immediate attention within the next two years.
These risk areas are:
- Risks to the viability and diversity of terrestrial and freshwater habitats and species from multiple hazards
- Risks to soil health from increased flooding and drought
- Risks to natural carbon stores and sequestration from multiple hazards, leading to increased emissions
- Risks to crops, livestock and commercial trees from multiple climate hazards
- Risks to supply of food, goods and vital services due to climate-related collapse of supply chains and distribution networks
- Risks to people and the economy from climate-related failure of the power system
- Risks to human health, wellbeing and productivity from increased exposure to heat in homes and other buildings
- Multiple risks to the UK from climate change impacts overseas.
Baroness Brown, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, said: “The severity of the risks we face must not be underestimated. These risks will not disappear as the world moves to Net Zero; many of them are already locked in.
“By better understanding and preparing for the coming changes, the UK can prosper, protecting its people, its economy and its natural environment. A detailed, effective action plan that prepares the UK for climate change is now essential and needed urgently.”
The new, independent report follows a comprehensive review of the risks and opportunities facing the UK from climate change led by the Climate Change Committee and involving 130 organisations and over 450 contributors. It is informed by a 1,500-page technical report collating the latest evidence across a range of key sectors, among many other outputs.
- Climate Change Committee advice to the Government
- Technical report and supporting information
- Professor Michael Davies’ academic profile
- Professor Kate Jones’ academic profile
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design & Engineering
- UCL Biosciences
- The Bartlett, UCL Faculty of the Built Environment
- UCL Faculty of Life Sciences
Tel: +44 (0)20 3108 6995
Email: k.corry [at] ucl.ac.uk