This online event was hosted by Green Alliance and The Wildlife Trusts to discuss adaptation to climate change in the UK.

This year has seen multiple extreme weather records broken across the UK. Temperatures exceeded 40°C for the first time; July was the driest in England since 1935 and, for some locations, the driest on record, and the number of wildfires at least tripled compared to 2021.

This is just the beginning of extreme impacts that we can expect to worsen as our climate changes. The world is not yet on course to reverse the likelihood of these effects and the net zero emissions goal could be a long way off. Carbon dioxide emissions in 2021 were the highest in human history.

Adaptation to climate change is critically important if we are to reduce its negative impacts on our economy and society, and build resilience for the future. Yet it has been ignored as a priority by successive governments. The last National Adaptation Programme for England contained no new funding commitments and no new policies.

Our expert panel discussed why more action isn’t being taken, government priorities for adaptation and the importance of COP27. The discussion included an audience Q&A.

Panel

• Chair: Helena Bennett, head of climate policy, Green Alliance
• Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence, The Wildlife Trusts
• Baroness Brown of Cambridge, member of the House of Lords
• Peter Young, trustee, Green Purposes Company
• Binyam Gebreyes, senior researcher, International Institute for Environment and Development