The UK is even less prepared for the climate change that is already hitting the country than it was five years ago, thanks to a “failing” government response, its own independent advisers have warned.
In a damning report released today, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said government action to improve the nation’s resilience was failing to cope with the impact of global warming and worsening . weather is already in danger of hitting the United Kingdom.
In fact, the threats facing the country have actually worsened, said CCC chief executive Chris Stark, as the government’s response has so far been “seriously lacking”.
CCC says while government has improved its resilience to flooding, it has failed in other areas
“We are increasingly aware of the risks we face,” he told Sky News. “And yet we have not seen a proportional response from the government.”
The CCC is urging government and decentralized administrations to act urgently to prevent more people from dying or losing their homes, starting with the eight most pressing climate risks for the UK.
One of the most serious is the threat of overheating in homes.
More than 4,000 people have died from heat-related reasons in England since 2018, and 7,000 could die each year by 2050, according to the assessment.
Since the CCC’s last equivalent report five years ago, more than half a million (570,000+) new homes have been built without features to cope with higher temperatures, such as shutters or better ventilation. .
“This is an example of locking in a change which is then difficult to reverse in the future,” Stark said.
A UK government spokesperson “welcomed” the report, saying “the UK was the first major global economy to set a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our plan aiming to further reduce emissions in 2035 by at least 78% from 1990 levels is the highest …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-15 14:49:00