UK Climate Change Committee Warns of Severe Risks, Calls for Urgent Action

A series of new reports from the UK's Climate Change Committee (CCC) warn that the nation remains dangerously unprepared for the escalating impacts of climate change, including floods, heatwaves, wildfires, and strain on critical infrastructure like hospitals and schools. Despite overwhelming evidence and recent record-breaking weather extremes, government action on climate adaptation has stagnated, with neither the previous nor the new Labour government delivering significant progress. The CCC finds that out of 46 key adaptation outcomes, none have seen good progress, and sectors such as water management have even regressed. Risks are rising rapidly: by 2050, up to a quarter of homes, half of major roads and railways, and over half of top-quality farmland will face serious flood risks, while annual heat-related deaths could surpass 10,000. Economic impacts could shrink the UK's GDP by as much as 7% by mid-century if climate threats go unchecked. The CCC urges immediate, coordinated national action, warning that failure to adapt will harm every family and sector across the country.