The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has published A Well-Adapted UK. This new report 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. 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 £11bn a year, split broadly evenly between public and private funding.

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