From beneath sweat-soaked eyebrows on Britain’s hottest day, Andrew Marr (Politics, 22 July) wrote, “We need a beady focus on the hard science of climate change… In specific terms, we may now need a department for national resilience, looking at everything from transport networks to flood plains.”
It’s a good idea. Until now, the focus of climate politics has been on reaching net zero, but many climate shocks are already locked in. By 2050 there could be 59 per cent more winter rainfall, some rivers could have 80 per cent less water during the summer, and summer temperatures could be up to 7.4°C hotter. I hope the government will consider asking the Treasury to commission a review of the economics of resilience. This would consider the costs and benefits of resilience measures and the balance between public and private investment. Its conclusions would help establish a national ambition for climate resilience, embed it in all government departments and enable us to reach net zero.
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