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CCC welcomes Government report assessing UK climate risk

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) today welcomes the publication of the UK Government’s assessment of the risks and opportunities facing the UK from climate change.

The Government’s official Climate Change Risk Assessment report is based on the evidence and advice published in the CCC-led Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk in June 2021.

The official report, laid before Parliament today, identifies eight priority risks which require urgent action:

  • 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 of Cambridge, Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, said: “We strongly welcome the Government’s Climate Change Risk Assessment which is based very closely on the CCC’s independent view of UK climate risk. But agreeing on the risks is one thing – taking action to address them is another. Building resilience to a cocktail of climate impacts facing our country, including flooding, drought, heat exposure and extreme weather events, is a mammoth task and we’re falling well behind. We look forward to seeing the Government’s action plan to shift the dial and deliver a well-adapted UK.”

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