We research and publish reports that show the impact of climate change on the people, places and life we love.
From the special places we love to explore, to the sports we play, to the food we eat and the homes we live in; extreme weather is threatening many aspects of our lives. Our reports, backed by scientific research, shine a light on how and why climate change is affecting our lives today, and the devestating impacts we can expect if no action is taken to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C.
However, these reports also show that there is hope; our world’s alarm clock may be ticking but if we take urgent action we can protect what we love from the worst impacts of climate change.
These reports were launched during our annual Show the Love campaign, when people from all walks of life join the UK’s biggest conversation about climate change. Join us to turn red hearts green this February.
OUR ICONIC BRITISH LANDSCAPES ARE THREATENED BY EXTREME WEATHER
There are many things to be proud of in Britain and much about our country that we love dearly - our landscapes, our culture, our communities, our nature, our sporting traditions, our faiths, our heritage.
Our relationships to all these things are often rooted in particular places that are dear to us – the local pub, the village cricket pitch, a coastal path, the parish church, a neighbouring farm or nearby woodland. These are the places where we live, work and play, where we pause, breathe and dream - and where many of our personal, familial and collective memories are made.
In recent years, some of these very special places have been damaged by extreme weather, in particular heavy rainfall and flooding. The British weather has always been changeable, but there is now a proven increase in extreme weather events and scientists have calculated that climate change is playing a role.
THE SPORTS WE LOVE ARE AT RISK FROM CLIMATE CHANGE
Sport is central to our national culture, providing enjoyment, boosting health and a source of passion and delight for millions. The triumph and tragedy of great sporting moments at St Andrews, the Principality Stadium or Wembley sit atop a hive of grassroots sports clubs which are woven into the fabric of our nations.
But some of the UK’s best loved sports are facing an unexpected threat: climate change, and the changing risks of extreme weather that it brings, is already affecting sports across the country.
Our Game Changer report, backed by the scientific expertise of the Priestley International Centre for Climate, focuses on four sports with hundreds of years of history between them: golf, football, skiing and cricket.
RECIPE FOR DISASTER
British-grown potatoes, vegetables and fruit are at risk as growers struggle to cope with extreme and unpredictable weather, made more likely by climate change.
Apple growers lost around 25% of their harvest in 2017 due to unexpectedly late frosts. Carrot (down a reported 25-30%) and onion yields (reportedly down 40% on a normal year) were hampered in 2018 by warmer than average temperatures. Potato yields were down on average 20% in England and Wales in 2018 compared to the previous season, making it the 4th smallest harvest since 1960. For consumers, the lack of water and extreme heat of 2018 was reported to have cut more than one inch off the size of the average chip.
This report draws on research by the Priestley International Centre for Climate and says the UK can expect more frequent extreme weather events - including longer-lasting and more intense heatwaves, and a one-in-three chance of record-breaking rainfall hitting parts of England each winter.
WE ARE SEEING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR DOORSTEP. LITERALLY.
Our homes are more than a building, they are the centre of family life; the places where we raise our children, cook our meals and rest our heads at night. But our homes are under threat from climate change. Increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather - including heat waves, flooding, storms and drought - are the most significant early impacts of climate change in the UK. And they all pose a major risk to the homes we love.
This winter we’ve seen flooding devastate communities. Our new report, backed by research from Priestley International Centre for Climate Change finds that extreme rainfall has increased by 40%, and the number of people in the UK facing floods during the winter is more than the population of Birmingham and Manchester combined.
THE SOLUTIONS ARE AT OUR FINGERTIPS
This new report also shows that it is possible to make our homes fit for the future - and reduce their contribution to climate change. We can make our homes cosier and greener and cheaper to run. But to do this we need our government to ensure that all new homes are compatible with a net zero emissions target, help homeowners to make their houses more energy-efficient and improve flood defences in vulnerable areas.
CLIMATE CHANGE PUTS OUR HEALTH AT RISK
Our latest report was launched February 2021 in collaboration with the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change and Priestley International Centre for Climate. It shows that approximately 1.8 million people in the UK are living in areas at significant risk of flooding - a number which could increase to 2.6 million by 2050. Just under 12 million people in the UK are also dangerously vulnerable to future summer heatwaves, particularly the elderly or people with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
The severe health issues related to climate change show that we must take urgent action to tackle the climate crisis, and protect the people we love from its impacts.
