Adapt for least 2C warming by 2050 says Climate Change Committee

“There is an argument that mitigation is global and adaptation is local, so the UK should be concentrating as much, if not more, on adaptation. After all, with more extreme weather on the horizon, such as heatwaves, drought, storms and flooding, urgent action is needed to increase adaptation action locally.

“Our cities, towns and individual homes need to be more resilient to flooding and heatwaves. For example, building more flood defences, changing building regulations to include ventilation and cooling, or encouraging the installation of heat pumps that also provide air conditioning.

“Business practices also need to evolve to account for changes in climate, such as creating robust supply chains, growing different crops or preparing the NHS for more warm-weather diseases.

“And in some cases adaptation may mean managed retreat in coastal areas where sea-level rise and erosion make protecting some homes unviable.

“This is not just about policy and pounds – but people. And just like the government is investing in the skilled people to transform our energy system to be low carbon to mitigate emissions, we need to invest in skilled people that can deliver that long list of adaptation measures.