25 Sep 2024
George Monbiot, writing in The Guardian, says more floods are coming to Britain, and that the network of public bodies supposed to safeguard us are bastions of self-interest. Labour’s first stage of government resembles a vast forensic excavation. As it works through the Conservatives’ midden of horrors, it discovers an ever greater legacy of underinvestment, […]
18 Sep 2024
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed has convened a new Floods Resilience Taskforce to turbocharge the development of flood defences and bolster the nation’s resilience to extreme weather. The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods Minister Emma Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, […]
23 Jul 2024
Two publications this week highlight the impact of climate change on water use and health. First, an article in the Los Angeles Times highlights the challenges of introducing new water-saving rules in California adopts – Los Angeles Times. The State Water Resources Control Board has adopted regulations that will require suppliers in cities and towns […]
29 May 2024
A new study from World Weather Attribution has shown that the 2023/24 storm season in UK and Ireland was made 20% heavier by climate change – and warns that it will continue to cause an increase in extreme winter storms combining strong winds and heavy rainfall. Scientists from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden […]
17 Apr 2024
Storms and heavy rain pushed up weather-related home insurance claims in the UK by more than a third last year to a record £573m, according to industry data. The repair bill for storm damage and other extreme weather during 2023 was £150m more than in 2022, the Association of British Insurers said, contributing to an […]
10 Apr 2024
According to data released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, global surface temperatures in March were 0.1C higher than the previous record for the month, set in 2016, and 1.68C higher than the pre-industrial average. This is the 10th consecutive monthly record in a warming phase that has shattered all previous records. Over the past […]
20 Mar 2024
The UK’s plans for adapting to the effects of the climate crisis “fall far short” of what is required, the government’s statutory adviser has said. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has examined the national adaptation programme published by ministers last July, intended to set out how people, buildings and vital national infrastructure such as water, transport, energy […]
20 Dec 2023
The National Audit Office has published a new report looking at how well-prepared the country is for future extreme weather events. The report sets out how central government coordinates, leads, supports and assures local activity, but does not cover local responses, such as local response plans. It also does not cover arrangements in the devolved […]
