UK “Built for a Climate That No Longer Exists”, Warns Climate Change Committee
A new report from the Climate Change Committee warns that Britain is unprepared for rising temperatures and calls for stronger protections against extreme heat in workplaces and public buildings.
The UK is unprepared for the climate it now lives in. That is the central warning from a new report by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which states that Britain is “built for a climate that no longer exists” and that hotter summers will place growing pressure on infrastructure, healthcare and working environments across the country.
Among the report’s most striking recommendations is the introduction of a legal maximum working temperature in the UK. Current regulations require employers to maintain a “reasonable” workplace temperature, but no upper legal limit exists, despite mounting concerns about overheating during periods of extreme heat.
The CCC also calls for wider use of cooling measures in settings such as hospitals, care homes and schools, where rising temperatures could create additional health and safety risks. With heatwaves becoming more frequent and intense, the report warns that the UK remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
The committee has been particularly critical of the pace of adaptation planning, arguing that the government is not adequately prepared for future climate conditions and that more urgent action is needed to improve resilience across buildings, infrastructure and public services.
The findings add to a growing debate over how Britain should respond to rising temperatures and the wider impacts of climate change. As heat is increasingly recognised as a major public health and workplace issue, the CCC’s warning is likely to intensify discussions around adaptation policy and long-term climate resilience.
