New research programme will help the UK prepare for climate change

The government has launched a new £5m research programme to boost the UK’s resilience to the impacts of the climate crisis. 

The effects of climate change are already being felt in the UK and around the world. The Met Office’s State of the UK Climate report published last week showed that last year was the third warmest, fifth wettest and eighth sunniest on record. 

In response to this, the ‘Climate Services for a Net Zero Resilient World’ programme, will help to inform future climate policy.

This will help to ensure that the UK is able to respond to the impacts that a warming planet will have on national infrastructure.

This includes heat waves causing record temperatures in buildings, extreme weather damage to power stations and electricity networks and flooding impacting communities. 

The programme will also engage with local authorities on local climate action plans, providing them with information on how to help households cope with extreme temperatures and helping them to identify low-cost, low-carbon measures. 

UK climate & energy minister and international adaptation and resilience COP26 champion Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: ‘Climate change poses a threat to both our way of life and the safety of our nation. The climate decisions taken by the government now, and over these crucial next few years, are vital to protect our homes, our wellbeing, and our future.

‘This new programme brings together the brightest and best climate scientists, universities and research institutions from across the country to provide us with the latest tools, advice, and research to inform future climate policies at a national and local level. This research will be vital to ensure we’re making the best possible choices on our journey to net-zero, making certain the UK is adaptable and more resilient to the effects of climate change.’