The UK is already experiencing climate impacts far sooner and more severely than experts previously predicted.
Top scientists say the environmental crisis now facing the UK requires a response on a scale similar to that seen during the Second World War. That was the central message of The National Emergency Briefing, held in Westminster Hall on 27 November 2025. Hosted by Chris Packham and chaired by Mike Berners-Lee, the event brought together leading experts to present evidence on the implications for our health, food systems, national security and economy if we do not respond to the climate and nature emergency. The briefing is now being shared more widely through a series of free public screenings across the UK.
Ten experts, including scientists, economists, academics, doctors and military figures, delivered briefings on the public record, setting out the risks facing the UK if action is not taken.
A crisis already under way
One of the clearest messages from the briefing is that extreme weather is not a future threat, it is already happening now. Professor Hayley Fowler warned that “the climate crisis is getting worse and we are not prepared”.
Europe has already experienced severe flooding and lethal heatwaves, and the UK is not exempt. UK winter rainfall is up around 10% since 1980 – around 7.3 billion cubic metres of extra water each winter, equivalent to roughly 3 million Olympic swimming pools. The trend is also around 25 years ahead of global model projections.
Flood risk is becoming a national-scale issue. By 2050, around 8 million properties in England – one in four – could be at risk, and an event on the scale of recent central European floods would represent a national crisis for the UK, with recovery taking years.
Extreme summer heat is also escalating. The UK reached 40°C for the first time on 19 July 2022, an event linked to around 3,000 excess deaths, and the likelihood of such temperatures occurring again is increasing. Wildfires, once considered mainly a risk in hotter countries, are now affecting parts of the UK, as hotter, drier summers increase the risk of fires on heathland, forests and urban edges, placing additional pressure on emergency services.
A country not designed for today’s climate
A key theme of the briefing is that much of the UK’s infrastructure was built for a climate that no longer exists. Drainage systems, housing, transport networks and reservoirs were designed when extreme weather events were less frequent and less severe. As rainfall intensifies and temperatures rise, the risks of system failures increase, including dam overtopping and cascading impacts across infrastructure.
The Climate Change Committee has warned that progress on adaptation remains too slow. Its assessment is blunt: no sector currently achieves a “good” rating, with major gaps in governance, responsibility and funding, reinforcing the briefing’s conclusion that adaptation is essential, not optional.
A “triple win”
The briefing also highlights that responding to climate change is not only about reducing risk but can bring wider benefits. Measures such as flood-absorbing green spaces, cooler urban environments, better insulation and more resilient infrastructure can protect people, reduce costs, improve health and create skilled jobs in what has been described as a “triple win”.
Examples from elsewhere, such as Copenhagen’s transformation into a ‘sponge city’ following severe flooding, show what can be achieved with long-term planning and investment.
East Anglia’s exposure
The risks outlined in the briefing are particularly relevant to East Anglia, where around 20% of the region lies below mean sea level, making it especially vulnerable to flooding, coastal erosion, drought and heathland fires.
Coastal erosion is already an ongoing problem along the Norfolk and Suffolk coast. Communities such as Happisburgh and Hemsby in Norfolk, and Pakefield, Kessingland and Thorpeness in Suffolk have all seen houses due to coastal erosion in the last few years, and the increasing severity of North Sea storms and high tides has made these events more frequent.
Extreme weather events have already affected the wider region. During the heatwave of July 2022, fires destroyed homes in parts of eastern England, while storms have caused flooding along sections of the east coast. These impacts underline a central message of the briefing: climate change is already affecting communities here and will become more severe without action.
Public concern and willingness to act
Surveys carried out by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero between 2021 and 2025 show consistently high levels of concern about climate change, with an average of 81.5% of people saying they are worried about its impacts.
When asked about behaviour, just over 83% agreed that the effects of climate change can be reduced if everyone does their bit. However, confidence in personal action is lower, with an average of just under 73% saying they feel able to make lifestyle changes to help reduce its effects.
More than half of respondents – 53% – said action should still be taken even if others do not do the same, suggesting a willingness to support collective action despite uncertainty about wider participation.
From evidence to engagement
The briefing has now been turned into a public information film, with screenings taking place in communities across the UK so that MPs and the public can see the same evidence together. The screening will take place in in dozens of communities nationwide over the coming weeks. The aim is not simply to inform but to create a shared understanding of the risks and the possible responses – locally as well as nationally.
The debate on climate change can often feel confusing, with complex scientific information and, at times, misinformation. It can also seem overwhelming, and something that individuals have little power to influence.
The aim of the National Emergency Briefing is to address that gap, presenting the latest evidence in a way that is accessible and easier to understand. It also highlights practical strategies for responding to the crisis, alongside the opportunities that come with acting early.
There is a clear message running through the briefing. The situation is serious and the risks are increasing, but the outcomes are not predetermined. The UK has the capacity to respond more effectively, yet is not currently doing so at the pace required. The risks are already visible, particularly in East Anglia, and the question now is whether the political system is willing to match the scale of the challenge.
The briefing is scheduled for dozens of communities around the country – see this map for further details.
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