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BBC Climate & Science
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The government has made very little progress in preparing the UK for the growing threats posed by rising temperatures since coming to power, its climate watchdog has warned.
In a highly critical report, the independent Climate Change Committee says progress is “either too slow, has stalled, or is heading in the wrong direction”.
From hospitals and care homes to food and water supplies, this could leave the UK vulnerable to serious economic and health impacts in the decades ahead, the CCC warns.
In response, the government pointed to its investment in flood defences, but acknowledged more work was needed.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy told BBC News that preparing for the changing climate was “something we’re really committed to”.
“We are putting £2.65bn into upgrading, maintaining and building new flood defences.
“But we absolutely know, of course, there’s more that needs to be done.”
Fuelled by climate change, the UK’s weather extremes are intensifying, from the 40C heat of July 2022 to England’s wettest 18 months on record between October 2022 to March 2024.
Such events are only likely to become more severe and happen more often, as the planet continues to get hotter due to humanity’s emissions of planet-warming gases.
Better preparation can limit the damage by making the country more resilient, but the CCC says this is not happening at anywhere near the required pace.
“We are seeing climate impact happening faster and more intensely and increasing [but] government just doesn’t yet seem to be taking it seriously,” Baroness
