1. Impact of Climate Change

Climate Change in the UK

Climate change is causing warming across the UK.  According to the Met Office, all of the UK’s ten warmest years on record have occurred since 2002.   The hottest day recorded in the UK came in July 2022, with 40.3C measured in Lincolnshire. 

1 An easy read summary of the IPCC findings can be found at the following link.

The Impact of Climate Change in Wales

Data is from the #showyourstripes website

Climate Change in Wales

The Future Trends Report 2021 identifies that in Wales, there is a high probability that unprecedented weather events including coastal storms, flooding, heatwaves, and droughts will increase in the years ahead.  Summers are projected to be warmer (1.34 0C warmer by 2050) and drier, winters milder and wetter (increased precipitation of 5% by 2050) and sea levels predicted to rise across the country by up to 24cm by 2050.  Further, the impact of climate change will not be felt equally – economically and socially disadvantaged people will be disproportionately impacted with existing inequalities likely to be compounded. 

It should be noted that actions on climate change also have the potential to adversely impact or exclude economically and socially disadvantaged people.  For example, the actions might require or result in higher costs.

The 2019 State of Nature Report identified that 8% of extant species for which sufficient data are available are formally classified as threatened and at risk of extinction.  There has been a 52% decline in the average species’ abundance of butterflies since 1976.  The Welsh marine environment is also under pressure and a range of marine protected areas are being established to ensure that sites are appropriately managed to preserve biodiversity.