Advisers issue stark warning UK is unprepared for climate 'disaster'

The government is failing to prepare the United Kingdom for "tomorrow's disaster" of floods, heatwaves, drought and wildfires, its climate advisers have warned.

The independent advisory Climate Change Committee also raised fears that spending needed to protect communities and critical services from worsening weather extremes could be cut in the summer spending review.

In a new report on adaptation – helping the UK cope with the already inevitable impacts of climate change – the committee warned there had been no improvement since its last assessment in 2023 and accused the new government of failing to deliver the change in approach needed.

The report warns 6.3 million homes and properties in England are currently at risk of flooding, which is set to rise to eight million – one in four – by 2050, while early deaths from heatwaves are projected to rise from the 3,000 seen in 2022's record hot summer to 10,000 a year by mid-century.

Already, half the UK's prime agricultural farmland is at risk of flooding, which is set to worsen, while schools, hospitals and care homes are among the most vulnerable to impacts such as heatwaves, the committee warned.

The committee's chairwoman Julia King pointed to 2022's heatwave, when temperatures topped 40 degrees for the first time ever, which in addition to thousands of deaths put huge pressure on emergency services and halted operations in hospitals.

The committee said the previous government's action plan fell short of preparing the UK for the climate change already being experienced, let alone the future, but found little evidence of change now despite the Labour Party's manifesto promising to "improve resilience and preparation" for the country.

King said: "People are worrying about the impacts of extreme weather, worrying about food prices. People are worried about what's going to happen to their vulnerable friends and relatives."

"Despite all this, we are seeing no such change in activity from the new government, despite the fact that it's clear to my committee, it's increasingly clear to the public that the current approach to adaptation policy just isn't working," she added.

A wide array of measures are needed, from building new resilient hospitals and retrofitting existing ones with air conditioning and green roofs for cooling, to ensuring people know what to do in a heatwave such as closing windows and curtains in the morning.

Standards for new homes need to prevent overheating and ensure they are not at risk of flooding, while agricultural subsidies, the 25-year farming plan and food strategy should all support efforts to adapt nature and food production to the changing climate.

The report calls for the government to improve its objectives and set clear targets for what needs to be achieved, improve coordination across departments, and implement monitoring and evaluation of climate impacts and the effect of adaptation measures.

But the committee raised concerns that the government had said last autumn that there was a need to review flood defence spending in light of financial pressures, raising fears it signalled cuts in the spending review.

King said: "We are seriously concerned that resilience and climate adaptation may be cut in the spending review."

Campaigners described the report as a "wake-up call" for the government, with WWF's head of climate policy Bella O'Dowd saying: "The evidence is clear: action on climate unlocks economic opportunities, improves our health and saves lives."

A government spokesperson said they would carefully consider the findings of the committee's report.

They added: "Alongside our transition to become a clean energy superpower and accelerating towards net zero, the government is taking robust action to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate."

"We are investing a record £2.65 billion ($3.5 billion) to repair and build flood defences, protecting tens of thousands of homes and businesses and helping local communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change such as overheating and drought."