Report warns London is ill-prepared for risks posed by climate change

By Anders Lorenzen

An independent report commissioned by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, titled The London Climate Resilience Review and led by the former chair of the Environment Agency, Emma Howard Boyd, has warned that the UK’s capital is unprepared for climate-fuelled risks.  As the world continues to warm in the coming years climate events such as heatwaves, flooding and rising sea levels are forecast to accelerate.

The London Mayor ordered the report after London in recent years has experienced soaring temperatures, wildfires and floods.

A threat to life

The report warned that climate change presents a threat to life among the most vulnerable communities in London, such as the elderly, children, low-income families, marginalised communities and vulnerable health groups.

The report also said that to counter these risks a significant increase in planning and investment was needed. The report’s recommendations included strengthening flood defences along the River Thames and improving housing standards.

Following up on the publication, Sadiq Khan said he would later this year follow the report’s advice and undertake a multi-agency exercise to test the capital’s preparedness for severe heat.

Very, very real

Ms Boyd said about the report: “London has many good plans and programmes to prepare for climate hazards, but we need to recognise that Londoners now face lethal risks.”

She further explained that while there had been a strong focus on reducing emissions, the UK also needed to prepare and adapt its critical national infrastructure.

“Things that we need to deal with in the future have suddenly become very, very real,” she added.

In the summer of 2022, Britain recorded its hottest day ever during a heatwave which fuelled fires across London’s outer areas, shut down key transport services, and led to the country declaring a national emergency.