Future business resilience depends on urgent climate adaptation measures

Reacting to the Climate Change Committee’s advice, Nick Molho, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group said: “Today’s high-quality analysis from the Climate Change Committee makes it abundantly clear that adapting to climate change is an environmental and economic imperative. In addition to devastating impacts on species and habitats, climate change will, without further urgent action, significantly disrupt the UK’s critical infrastructure, supply chains, food supply and business productivity. Businesses are clear that climate adaptation and the delivery of the UK’s net zero emissions target should both be cross-departmental priorities and be fully embedded across all areas of Government policy making.”

Nick Molho added: “A key message from today’s report is that restoring the natural environment – including soils, peatlands, wetlands and forests – will significantly improve the UK’s ability to cope with climate change as well as provide much needed negative emissions to deliver the net zero target. The Environment Bill could play a crucial, positive role here and we urge the Government to strengthen it by introducing binding interim targets that will drive rapid investment in nature restoration projects.”

Nick Molho concluded: “Businesses also have an important and pro-active role to play in improving the future resilience of the economy. This should include regularly monitoring and disclosing their vulnerability to the physical and regulatory impacts related to climate change, reviewing the environmental impacts and resilience of their supply chains, incorporating climate change adaptation in everyday investment decisions and large corporations supporting smaller businesses in their supply chains to develop adaptation strategies.”