Councils warn public not prepared for climate change

Recent polling from the Local Government Association (LGA) and YouGov has revealed that only 5 per cent of the public feel prepared for the impacts of climate change.

The research found that the public trust their council the most to lead the effort to prepare villages, towns and cities to the climate impacts.

The polling found that 63 per cent of people are worried about climate change, but 12 per cent think climate change will not impact their areas.

People are most worried about storms, flooding, and heatwaves and least worried about wildfires, and the impact on the economy and public services.

The LGA is calling for the Autumn Statement to signal a rapid acceleration in the work to get ready for the escalating impacts of climate change.

Councils are also calling for government guidance on critical thresholds for different weather patterns including the threshold temperatures that different services can change or close, including play areas and libraries.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the LGA said: “Councils want to play their full role in preparing people and places for the impacts of climate change on local areas.

“As extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, the public sense of unpreparedness will undoubtedly harden and grow.

“Councils are doing fantastic work to tackle climate change and we want our communities to feel secure in their homes and local areas. The public trust us most because we are rooted in communities and understand places, we must be given the tools and funding needed to make that happen.”