U.K. accused of burying Climate Change Risk Assessment Report

The 2017 U.K. Climate Change Risk Assessment report was released on January 18, 2017, and The Independent is alleging that the U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) published the report on their website, but with little fanfare.

The Independent goes so far as to write that Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom didn’t issue a statement about the report and “No mainstream media organization covered the report.”

In a statement, the Green Party said: “The report was quietly published on January 18, the exact same day experts confirmed 2016 was the hottest year on record. The evidence is overwhelming and the Government should be responding to this report and tackling climate change head on by backing a renewable energy revolution. There is simply no excuse for inaction.”

But the U.K. government did read and respond to the dangers outlined in the assessment, setting out the six priority risk areas requiring further action in the U.K. over the next five years.

The top six areas of inter-related climate change risks for the UK.

DEFRA

And the report is undoubtedly important to the people of the U.K., especially because they have already been dealing with extreme flooding and coastal erosion, as well as the health effects from a warming environment. And the government acknowledges that “urgent action” needs to be taken on the overheating of homes and businesses and cities, in general.

The government also recognizes that climate change “will present significant risks to the availability and supply of food in the U.K.,” and will also affect worker productivity and the water supply. All these considerations are outlined by DEFRA, according to Edie.net.

Edie.net also points out that while DEFRA ministers are currently working on the U.K.’s 25-Year Environment Plan, it has suffered a whole series of setbacks in the wake of the EU Referendum.

It is also noted that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit speech failed to directly address the country’s environmental obligations. But DEFRA contends that the Climate Change Act 2008 will remain “unaffected” by the decision to leave the EU.