Both mitigating against (reducing emissions) and adapting to a changing climate offer real opportunities for positive change and additional benefits. In today’s Climate Newsletter we are sharing some stories of adaptation, highlighting how communities are realising benefits today and building a sustainable future for tomorrow.
Possilpark Business Improvement District
Businesses in Possilpark, Scotland have already been exposed to flooding, overheating in outdoor areas and extreme wind and storms, but the Business Improvement District has been supported to understand climate risks and priority resilience actions businesses can take. The suggestions will not only reduce risks but also improve the area for businesses and the public.
Increasing the tree canopy cover in Cambridge aimed to make the city more climate resilient by combating the urban heat island effect and lowering the risk of flooding. Additional benefits from having trees in cities are well understood and include improved wellbeing and social cohesion.
The Somerset Wildlife Trust highlights a number of adaptation case studies including how Martock’s Flood Warden Group has worked with local landowners and others to help with restoration and adaptation around flooding to reduce downstream flood risk.
Keep an eye out for more stories of adaptation in future Climate Newsletters and get in touch if you have your own personal, community or business examples you’d like to share.
On 1 August, we published our provisional statistics for July which indicated that the UK had its fifth warmest July on record after beginning the month with the hottest temperature of the year so far. As of the end of July, the provisional data for the meteorological summer so far shows that the UK’s average mean temperature sits 1.41 °C above the long-term meteorological average for the season.
On 30 July, the Met Office and the BBC announced that we are forming an exciting new partnership to deliver the most trusted and accurate weather service to everyone in the UK.
Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC said: “Weather is the UK’s favourite conversation and hugely important to all our lives and all our audiences across the world. The BBC’s world-renowned journalism will be working together with the Met Office’s weather and climate intelligence to turn science into stories and help everyone in the UK to make informed decisions about the weather. There has never been more need for trusted and impartial information to help people understand today’s weather.”
Penny Endersby, CEO of the Met Office said: “As the UK’s most trusted provider of weather and climate intelligence, we are excited to be back working closely with the BBC again. Together we can reach even more people with essential weather information, helping them to plan their days, stay safe when it matters and keep well-informed in our changing climate.”
The latest episode of Climate Conversations is out now with a look back at the Exeter Climate Forum connecting research, decision-making and action.
Scientists, policymakers, and business leaders came together to highlight the importance of collective efforts across society to ensure that climate information is relevant and resonates with people’s everyday lives, their work and their communities, ultimately empowering everyone to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Our Climate Conversations series covers the latest research and real-world impacts of climate change. Topics have included record-breaking marine heatwaves, the future of UK sporting events and sustainable education. Stay tuned, as there are more episodes coming up. You can watch all previous episodes on our playlist and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up to date.
What’s coming up
BAMS State of the Climate Report
Tomorrow, the latest edition of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) will be published looking at the state of the global climate in 2024. In addition to the latest updates on temperature and emissions of greenhouse gases, our press release will also examine the latest humidity results – a key aspect of the global climate last year. Visit the Met Office website tomorrow, to view our press release.
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The latest episode of Climate Conversations is out now with a look back at the Exeter Climate Forum connecting research, decision-making and action.
