The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the second part of its latest report on climate change. The “Working Group 2, Fifth Assessment Report” covers the likely impacts of climate change and our capacity to adapt to future climate risks. The report is the work of over 310 scientific experts drawn from universities and research institutes in 73 different countries around the world.
Although the IPCC didn’t focus on individual countries, the ‘impacts, vulnerability and adaptation’ report identifies three key risks from climate change for Europe:
- Increased economic losses and more people affected by flooding in river basins and coasts;
- Increased water restrictions. Significant reduction in water availability from river abstraction and from groundwater resources combined with increased water demand (eg for irrigation, energy and industry and domestic use);
- Increased economic losses and people affected by extreme heat events: impacts on health and well-being, labour productivity, crop production and air quality
The UK will also be impacted by global issues such as rising food prices. High levels of adaptation can significantly reduce but not remove these risks.
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