1 July 2026
Nature and climate charities are calling on the Government to put nature at the centre of plans to protect the UK from worsening heatwaves, flooding, drought, and food insecurity, following the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s latest adaptation report.
The CCC warns that the UK’s “way of life” is increasingly under threat from climate change, with extreme weather already disrupting homes, farming, infrastructure and wildlife across the country. Without urgent action, the impacts will intensify sharply: by 2050, 92% of homes could face dangerous overheating, peak river flows could rise by up to 45%, and water shortages could exceed five billion litres per day.
Wildlife and Countryside Link, the largest environmental coalition in England, said restoring nature must become a central pillar of the UK’s climate adaptation strategy - not only protecting communities from climate shocks, but helping people and wildlife thrive in a hotter, wetter and less predictable future.
Healthy rivers, floodplains and wetlands act as natural sponges, soaking up heavy rainfall and slowing floodwaters before they reach homes, farms and businesses. Peatlands and healthy soils store water during wet periods and release it during drought, helping secure water supplies while locking away carbon. Trees, parks and urban green spaces cool streets and buildings during dangerous heatwaves, improve air quality and create healthier neighbourhoods.
The organisations said the UK must move beyond treating water as an endless resource. Restoring rivers, peatlands and wetlands can help landscapes hold onto water for longer, replenishing supplies during drought while reducing pollution and reviving wildlife. Nature-rich catchments can protect communities from both water scarcity and flooding at the same time, while supporting cleaner rivers, more resilient farms and stronger local economies.
The report also says annual flood investment must rise to between £1.6 and £2.2 billion a year to stop risks escalating further. Charities said nature-based solutions such as restoring wetlands, reconnecting rivers with floodplains and rebuilding coastal habitats can reduce flood risk while bringing wildlife back to landscapes that have been degraded for decades.
Matt Williams, co-chair of the Wildlife and Countryside Link group on nature and climate change, said: “Water flows through the heart of this report. Britain faces the twin threats of drought and flooding, alongside polluted rivers and declining wildlife. Healthy rivers, wetlands and peatlands are some of our strongest natural defences against climate extremes, helping landscapes hold onto water when there’s too much and release it when there’s too little. The Government must seize the opportunity of the upcoming Clean Water Bill to restore rivers, cut pollution and secure clean, reliable water for people and nature. Climate adaptation cannot succeed without a long-term plan to manage water better for people and wildlife alike. Getting climate adaptation right means getting water right.”
The CCC says the UK must invest more in cooling and green shading across public services, warning that hospitals, schools and care homes are increasingly vulnerable to overheating. Campaigners said trees, parks, wetlands and greener streets can help cool urban areas naturally while improving public health and access to nature.
Oliver Newham, Policy and Advocacy Lead at Rewilding Britain, said: “The Climate Change Committee is clear, restoring nature is one of our strongest defences against climate extremes and investing now will save billions later. The UK Government must seize this moment to embrace big, bold nature-based solutions, including rewilding. Restoring our rivers and floodplains, wetlands and intertidal areas, and rebuilding functioning ecosystems across our land and seascapes will help protect communities from flooding, drought and extreme heat, while supporting food security, wildlife recovery and healthier, more vibrant local economies. This report must trigger urgent action to scale nature restoration as a core part of the UK’s climate resilience strategy.”
Farming and food security were also highlighted as major concerns. Environmental groups said farmers need stronger support to build resilience to drought, flooding and extreme weather through healthier soils, agroecological farming methods, better water management and nature-friendly land use.
Gareth Morgan, Head of Farming and Land Use Policy at Soil Association, said: “Our food system must adapt to a changing climate. As we have seen with recurring cycles of extreme wet and dry weather, alongside climate-induced food inflation, more action, alongside good data and monitoring, is desperately needed to support farmers and food supply chains in building resilience to climate stressors. However, adaptation is more than just food production and supply: it is about building a nature-friendly future for farming through healthier soils, cleaner water, more trees on farms, and low-input, agroecological approaches to disease and pest management.”
Claire Bass, Senior Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs for Humane World for Animals, said: “This report makes clear that climate change is already causing suffering to hundreds of millions of animals across the UK, from heat-stressed dairy-cows, to seabirds starving in warming seas, and wildlife killed in unprecedented wildfires. Yet animals barely feature in the Government's adaptation plans. We need a climate strategy that protects animals as sentient beings, not just treat them as commodities whose loss dents the bottom line. There is clear urgency to rethink how we farm and manage our land, and we should seize the moment to move away from factory farming models that are both cruel and climate-vulnerable.”
Martin Bowman, Senior Policy and Campaigns Managers at Foodrise, said: “The CCC is clear that maintaining UK food security while reducing emissions is possible if we focus on climate-resilient crop production for direct human consumption, alongside nature restoration. Currently around half of UK cropland is wastefully used to grow animal feed – UK farmers should be given more support to grow plant-based foods like legumes to feed people directly instead, reducing reliance on imports and supporting healthy sustainable diets. The CCC is also clear that reducing food waste is vital to future food security – yet the government is missing in action, failing to introduce mandatory food waste reporting despite previous CCC reports describing this as “overdue”, and evidence showing this would reduce costs at a time of skyrocketing food prices.”
Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust, said: “Extreme heat in our towns and cities may claim the lives of tens of thousands of people. Growing trees - nature’s air conditioners - near the homes of the one million UK residents living in ‘tree deserts’ would keep these areas shaded and cool. The government must protect urban communities by increasing tree cover in areas most at risk.
“As the UK gets warmer and wetter, integrating trees within farms is crucial to allow farmers to adapt to the changing climate while producing food. Extreme heat, drought and flooding are already costing our farmers millions. Our long-term food security is under threat unless we restore nature’s ecosystems by giving farmers the trees and other tools they need for resilient farms.”
The charities stressed that adapting to climate change cannot replace action to cut emissions, warning that climate impacts will continue to worsen without rapid progress towards net zero.
Roz Bulleid, Director of Policy and Research at Green Alliance, said: “For too long, preparing for the consequences of climate change has been an afterthought in the UK. Those consequences are already here, felt across our homes and our public services. And while adaptation is essential, the CCC is right to point out that it cannot be a substitute for cutting the emissions that are driving these risks in the first place. All political parties must take this report as a call to action and commit to working with business and communities to build a well adapted UK. If they don’t, voters will notice as the waters, temperatures and bills rise.”
Eleanor Johnston, climate change manager at The Wildlife Trusts said: “This report is a stark reminder that the UK is dangerously unprepared for the escalating impacts of climate change. But it is clear where the solution lies: nature. As our strongest defence against climate change, nature is not an optional extra – it is a necessity. A well-managed transition to nature-friendly farming, healthy soils that absorb extreme rainfall, green spaces that cool our towns and cities, and rivers and wetlands that slow and store floodwater are all essential to keeping food on our shelves and helping to protect people, places and wildlife. The government must put nature at the heart of climate adaptation. That means restoring and protecting habitats at scale, investing in nature recovery, and ensuring planning decisions work with nature. Delay will only deepen damage and increase costs for people, wildlife and the economy.”
Katie-jo Luxton, Executive Director of Global Conservation at the RSPB, said: “The Climate Change Committee’s report could not be clearer in its recommendations: nature must be placed at the heart of the UK’s response to climate change. Doing so now will restore wildlife, protect people, support food security and ultimately benefit our economy."
“Climate change is a critical threat to the future of our wildlife and wild places, whose resilience is already being tested. But when we look after nature, it looks after us: our precious peatlands absorb carbon and act like a giant sponge protecting us from flooding, while our trees keep our cities and greenspaces cool and improving air quality in our streets. We have the solutions – now the UK Government must step up and urgently take action to protect and restore our natural world.”
The charities call for this report to be a turning point for climate adaptation in the UK. Restoring nature will create a healthier, safer and more prosperous future - with cleaner rivers, thriving wildlife, resilient farms, greener communities, and landscapes better able to withstand the climate shocks already unfolding across the country.
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