THE UK is unprepared for the consequences of climate change and is in a worse position than it was five years ago, government advisers have said.
The independent Climate Change Committee put out a report warning that climate change will impact the UK more than originally thought.
The authors say more severe heatwaves and heightened flood risks are among the concerns, with an urgent need for homes and infrastructure to be made more resilient.
Baroness Brown, the chairwoman of the group’s sub-committee on adaptation, said ministers appear to believe they can “put adaptation off until tomorrow”, but stressed “now’s the time for urgent action”.
READ MORE: Climate: Scotland falls short of emissions target despite positive progress
On housing, the committee warns overheating in buildings not designed for extremely warm weather could become a deadly risk. The UK Government should force landlords to improve cooling measures in homes, and all newbuilds should be created with a hotter climate in mind.
On nature, the committee urged the Government to re-wet upland peat moors in order to respond to habitat loss and carbon absorption. If peat bogs dry out and start releasing their stored carbon, there would be a negative impact on the rate of warming.
Ministers were also urged to make businesses aware of climate change’s threat to supply chains and to the electrical grid. As we move away from fossil fuels, the risk of power cuts would apparently be increased.
"It's really troubling how little attention the Government has paid to this,” said the CCC chief executive Chris Stark.
"The extent of planning for many of the risks is really shocking. We are not thinking clearly about what lies ahead."
Under Westminster’s current plans, the UK is not prepared to cope with even a 2 degree rise in temperature – though the world could warm by 4 degrees in the next 80 years.
The committee’s report was based on a review of scientific literature by 450 experts.
A UK Government spokesperson commented: "The UK was the first major world economy to set a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our plan to further reduce emissions in 2035 by at least 78% compared to 1990 levels is the highest reduction target by a major economy to date.
"We welcome this report and will consider its recommendations closely as we continue to demonstrate global leadership on climate change ahead of COP26 in November."
The report comes after it emerged Scotland missed its annual climate change target, though positive progress was being made.
Official figures showed a reduction of the greenhouse gas account of 51.5% in 2019 from the baseline period, despite legislation calling for a 55% reduction.
Net-Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Whilst it is undoubtedly disappointing that the annual target has not been met, the figures do still show good progress.”
Scotland outperformed the UK in long-term reductions, he added, with the country now more than halfway towards the net zero goal.
He said the Government published an updated climate change plan in December 2020 which had more than 100 new policies while the targets for 2020 and 2030 “are the most stretching of any country in the world”.
Launching the report, CCC chief executive Chris Stark said there was “no clear evidence that climate risks or opportunities for agriculture and forestry are being strategically managed across the UK”.
Commenting, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: “This report is crystal clear that both the UK and Scottish governments have failed to take action to adapt to the rising temperatures and extreme weather events that threaten our way of life. It warns that opportunities to get this right are time limited, which is why resilience and sustainability needs to be at the heart of plans for the economic recovery.
“These things are happening to Scotland now. We have all seen the floods, the landslips and the increasing fire risks from summer dry spells. There is no time to wait to protect our food supply, infrastructure and natural environment. We must invest wisely and ensure all government policy strategies are aligned. Our future depends on it.”
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