The “hard-hitting and sobering assessment of UK climate risk” published by the UK’s climate watchdog has been welcomed amid growing concerns over the country’s resilience.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has published its latest report which sets out a comprehensive package of solutions to address the growing impacts of climate change affecting every aspect of life in the UK.

The country’s independent climate advisors identify better cooling, flood protection and a more secure water supply as the most critical priorities to protect the UK from the three biggest climate risks – heat, flooding and drought.

“We are already seeing disruption today and without action these risks will escalate,” the report warned. “By 2050, 92% of homes are likely to overheat, peak river flows will be up to 45% higher and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day.

“The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of acting now.”

The Committee’s proposals require investment of around £11 billion a year, split broadly evenly between public and private funding.

It warned without adaptation the cost of climate change to public welfare is predicted to rise to between 1-5% of UK GDP by 2050 under a 2°C global warming level, equivalent to £60-£260 billion per year.

Chair of the Adaptation Committee, Baroness Brown, said: “Our lives, our landscapes and our homes are under increasing pressure from the changing climate. But we are not powerless. In an increasingly unstable world, being well adapted to climate change is fundamental to securing our food, energy and economic security.

“This report carries a message of hope. The solutions already exist, and proven technologies are available now to help the UK adapt effectively. With the right decisions and actions, we can protect the people and the places we love.

“We can protect patients and residents in overheated hospitals and care homes, children in nurseries and schools, and communities facing repeated flooding. We can support our farmers to maintain our food supplies. We can keep sports pitches usable, high streets open for business, and iconic British music festivals running safely.

“The public want to see change and the government now has an opportunity to step up and protect our way of life.”

The Adaptation Committee’s eight key areas for government action are:

• Protect people from heat.

• Manage flood risk.

• Avoid water shortages.

• Support nature to adapt.

• Keep farming viable.

• Understand the risks to food security.

• Maintain access to insurance.

• Adapt infrastructure to avoid cascading disruption.

The report was welcomed by the  Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) with its CEO warning the country is not keeping pace with the threats.

Natalie Prosser, explained: “We welcome the hard-hitting and sobering assessment of UK climate risk published today by the Climate Change Committee in its report, ‘A Well Adapted UK’. This says that current plans are insufficient to address the scale of the challenge and urgent action is needed to better protect the UK from climate change.
“In January we reported that in England government remains largely off-track to meet the environmental commitments and obligations set out in its Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). In June we will publish our first assessment of progress in delivery of Northern Ireland’s EIP, where DAERA’s own assessment of progress has already signalled a similar picture.
“Priority risks identified by the CCC include risks to the state of nature, the viability of farming and to water availability. Those risks have direct impacts on the effectiveness or otherwise of the delivery of the EIPs and whether the UK Government and NI Executive can get on track to successfully meet their environmental commitments.”

She added: “The CCC says it can be done, but urgent action is needed, supported by robust objectives and measurable targets, backed by delivery plans and resources, with clear accountability. This is consistent with our own calls for an increase in the pace and scale of action to protect and improve the environment, with coherence across different policies and plans and a focus on delivering real outcomes.
“Without action the risks will escalate, and nature’s recovery will become yet more challenging. As CCC chair Baroness Brown says, it is time for government to step up.”

Cormac Bradley, Senior Actuarial Director at Broadstone, the insurance risk and actuarial advisory firm commented: “This report marks an important shift from climate risk awareness to climate risk readiness. As Parliament’s independent climate advisers, the CCC is clear that climate impacts are already affecting the economy and financial system.

“For insurers, this provides a strong evidence base to identify what is genuinely material and to strengthen climate risk frameworks in line with the PRA’s SS5/25 expectations. The message is no longer about future risk, it is about how firms are managing climate risk today.”