Climate Change Committee report: a wake-up call Britain cannot ignore

A landmark new report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has laid bare what Britain faces if we fail to act on climate change — and I am calling on the Government to respond with the urgency this moment demands. 

The CCC's 554-page assessment, A Well Adapted UK, sets out a sobering picture of life in Britain by 2050 under even a relatively conservative 2°C warming scenario: heatwaves in the south of England regularly exceeding 40°C; droughts so severe that water can only be used for essential purposes; and some coastal communities facing managed relocation. If warming reaches 4°C by the end of the century — which the CCC says cannot yet be ruled out — the impacts would be, in their own words, "potentially catastrophic," with today's extreme weather becoming the norm. 

The threat from heat is immediate and serious

The report projects that heat-related excess deaths — currently up to 3,000 a year during heatwave periods — could rise to 10,000 per year by 2050. By the same year, 92% of homes are expected to overheat in summer. That is why the CCC recommends that hospitals, schools, prisons and care homes be equipped with cooling, and that workplaces be given maximum temperature regulations. Many of our European neighbours already have these protections in place — it is time we caught up.

The Government should also support low-income households to install heat pumps capable of both heating and cooling homes. This is a matter of health equity as much as climate policy.

Flooding: investment must increase now

By 2050, peak river flows are projected to be 45% higher than today, and sea levels around our coasts could rise by as much as 45 centimetres. Current Government plans for flood protection spending — around £1bn a year — fall well short of the £1.6bn to £2.2bn annually the CCC says is needed. That gap must be closed.

There will be difficult conversations ahead with communities where flood protection is simply not viable. Where managed relocation becomes necessary, those decisions must be made honestly, compassionately, and with communities at the centre — not imposed from above.

The cost of action is far less than the cost of inaction

The CCC estimates its recommendations would cost around £11bn a year, split between public and private investment. That sounds like a large sum. But set against the human, economic, and social costs of failing to prepare, it is not a choice — it is an obligation. 

I am calling on the Government to:

• Increase annual flood protection spending to at least £1.6bn, in line with CCC recommendations
• Introduce maximum workplace temperature regulations to protect workers during severe summers
• Ensure hospitals, schools, care homes, and prisons in high-risk areas have adequate cooling before the next major heatwave
• Support low-income households to install heat pumps that provide both heating and cooling
• Engage openly with coastal communities facing flood risk, with full financial support for those facing managed relocation
• Develop a cross-departmental climate adaptation strategy with clear funding commitments and delivery timelines

This report is not just a warning — it is a roadmap. The Government now needs to follow it.

To read the Climate Change Committee's full report, visit theccc.org.uk