Report warns Britain to fix 'lost decade' of minimal planning, climate mitigation

A panel of government advisors on Tuesday advised Britain to remedy a "lost decade" of minimal planning to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The report comes as the UK conservative government readies to outline "energy security" amid the power crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia war. Experts said that last year's record-breaking heat and wildfires were a portent of what's to come. "The last decade has been a lost decade in terms of preparing for and adapting to the risks, the risks we already have, and those that we know are coming," said adaptation committee chairwoman Julia King. The report predicts that even if the UK meets its "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050 goal, things could still take a turn for the worse.

Moreover, according to the report, no matter what measures are taken, rising temperatures are here to stay. This necessitates new initiatives to adapt energy and water supplies, buildings, transport networks and other necessary infrastructure.

"The government's lack of urgency around climate resilience is increasingly in contrast to the experience of the population in the UK, and the impacts are only going to get worse," King told reporters.

She added that "adaptation can no longer be left as the Cinderella of climate change." 

Chris Stark, the chief executive of the UK's climate change committee, said that years of warming temperatures are in store no matter what and that we have "no option but to adapt to the change in the climate."

"The question is only whether we do that well, by doing it early, or wait till later when it will cost more and increase the disruption," he said.

As per the report, there was "no visible plan or process" to protect UK telecommunications and IT systems from coming heatwaves. King warned that if the critical sector is affected, it could lead to "cascading failures" throughout the economy.