UK not prepared for climate impacts, says CCC

Despite ‘unequivocal evidence’ that climate change is making these weather extremes more likely, the committee found no discernible progress in the UK’s preparedness since its last Adaptation Progress Report in 2023, even with the change in government.

“We can see our country changing before our eyes,” said Baroness Brown, chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee. “People are having to cope with more regular extreme weather impacts. People are experiencing increasing food prices. People are worried about vulnerable family members during heatwaves.

“Ineffective and outdated ways of working within government are holding back the country’s ability to be future-fit. Is this government going to face up to the reality of our situation? Failing to act will impact every family and every person in the country.”

The 2025 Adaptation Progress Report highlighted several areas of concern. It found that over half of England’s best farming land was already under threat from flood, alongside 6.3 million properties. Both those figures are expected to increase significantly by 2050, with the total number of properties set to reach eight million as sea levels rise and coastal flooding becomes more prevalent. 

Transport infrastructure is also under threat, with over a third of railway and road kilometres currently at flood risk. That figure is predicted to rise to around half by 2050, with extreme heat causing further disruption through rail buckling and power line sagging.

Extreme heat combined with the UK’s ageing population will also mean an increase in heat-related deaths. With an annual figure already in the thousands, the CCC estimates the UK could see 10,000 heat-related deaths per year by 2050, with up to seven per cent of the country’s GDP lost if the climate crisis is not addressed.

“We have seen in the last couple of years that the country is not prepared for the impacts of climate change,” Baroness Brown continued.

“We know there is worse to come, and we are not ready – indeed in many areas we are not even planning to be ready. The threat is greatest for the most vulnerable: we do not have resilient hospitals, schools, or care homes. Public and private institutions alike are unprepared.”

Sam Gould, director of policy and external affairs at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), echoed the concerns of Baroness Brown and the Adaptation Committee. He called for adaptation funding to be set aside in the upcoming spending review, as well as making adaptation reporting mandatory for infrastructure owners and operators.   

“Once again, the Climate Change Committee has said that the government isn’t moving fast enough to adapt the UK’s infrastructure for our changing climate,” said Gould.

“With extreme weather events on the rise, a significant portion of the UK’s agricultural land, rail and road infrastructure, homes and businesses face flood risk. The CCC also predicts that heat-related deaths will rise.

“Postponing action puts infrastructure, businesses, homes, and people at risk. On the other hand, investing now to improve the country’s climate resilience will be cheaper in the long run. It will help protect people, homes, businesses and the infrastructure we all rely on, and strategic investment will also have positive economic benefits.”