Whatever the Weather: A progressive strategy for climate resilience and adaptation

Climate change is already a major risk to our health, homes and infrastructure. Flooding, heatwaves and drought are more common than in the past, and they are projected to continue to become more frequent and severe.

As a result, argues Fabian Society researcher Eloise Sacares, reducing emissions is not enough; it is too late to prevent some of the damage resulting from human-induced climate change.  Even if the world dramatically reduces its greenhouse gas emissions from now on, we will feel the impact of emissions to date, plus the additional emissions predicted under even the most optimistic decarbonisation scenarios. To adjust to this new reality, we must embark on an ambitious programme of climate adaption.

Yet adaptation is still often overlooked. Conservative government policy in this area is sparse, under-resourced and lacking in urgency. The next government must do better to prepare for a climate-changed future. This publication identifies three key areas of life which will be severely impacted, and in which practical changes in government policy could make a significant difference.