A group of government advisors in the UK has recommended that urgent action is needed to address a ‘lost decade’ of minimal planning to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The report comes as the Conservative government is preparing to outline ‘energy security’ in response to the power crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Experts have warned that the record-breaking heat and wildfires seen last year are an indication of what is to come. The chair of the adaptation committee, Julia King, stated that the last decade has seen a lack of preparation and adaptation to the risks that we already face and those that are yet to come.
Even if the UK achieves its goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the report predicts that things could still take a turn for the worse. Rising temperatures are expected to remain, so new initiatives are needed to adapt energy and water supplies, buildings, transport networks, and other infrastructure.
King noted that the government’s lack of urgency around climate resilience is in contrast to the experiences of the population in the UK, and the impacts are only going to get worse. She added that adaptation can no longer be treated as the neglected aspect of climate change. Chris Stark, the chief executive of the UK’s climate change committee, warned that years of warming temperatures are inevitable, and adaptation to climate change is essential.
The question is whether we will adapt well and do so early, or wait until later when it will cost more and disrupt more.
The report also found that there was no visible plan or process to protect UK telecommunications and IT systems from heatwaves. King warned that if the critical sector is affected, it could lead to ‘cascading failures’ throughout the economy.
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