The National Emergency Briefing: Key Learnings
On 27th November, Think Beyond was represented at the UK’s first National Emergency Briefing on the climate and nature crisis.
Ten of the UK’s leading experts briefed an invite-only audience of around 1,250 politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media with the latest implications for health, food, national security and the economy.
The scientists and other experts explained why the UK needs to take emergency-level action at a similar scale to that seen in wartime.
In this blog, our Senior Consultant, Tom Wells, has compiled some key takeaways from this critical event.
Climate & Weather Extremes
The experts confirmed what is widely known – climate change is accelerating. CO₂ in the atmosphere now exceeds 420 ppm and current projections put us on track for 2°C warming by 2050 and a real risk of 3-4°C by 2100, far beyond safe limits.
“Developing and scaling technology is key, however reliance on “delay technology”, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is dangerous; real mitigation needs to come from deep reductions in energy use, rapid deployment of proven solutions (e.g., retrofits, EV infrastructure, decarbonising aviation), and a fair transition,” commented Kevin Anderson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change
Severe storms, floods, and heatwaves are already escalating; by 2050 one in four UK properties will face flood risk, with major infrastructure impacts.
Hayley Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts, warned:
“This is the least extreme climate we will experience in our lifetime. Act with urgency. Act with courage. Act now.”
“This is the least extreme climate we will experience in our lifetime. Act with urgency. Act with courage. Act now.”
Nature
“Nature is not a nice to have, it is critical national infrastructure,” stated Nathalie Seddon, Professor of Biodiversity.
“This is not about choosing between the economy and the environment, it is recognising nature is embedded in the economy – it is sound fiscal and economy policy,” Seddon continued.
We are in an economy that invests in its own ecological decline. Redirecting finance and scaling nature-based solutions can increase resilience (e.g., flooding), strengthen the economy, and support physical and mental health benefits.
Climate Tipping Points
The world is nearing or in the process of passing multiple irreversible climate tipping points, with catastrophic global consequences.
In particular, at 2–3°C of warming, risks of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) collapse rise sharply, threatening UK food security, extreme cold winters, and major shifts in global agriculture.
“The pathway forward is to trigger positive tipping points – self-reinforcing transitions that rapidly accelerate decarbonisation, focusing on the heating, transport and power sectors,” said Tim Lenton OBE, Professor of Climate Change and Earth System Science.
Food Security
Paul Behrens, British Academy Global Professor, explained that society has reached a moment of threat to our food security that we have never seen.
The UK is highly exposed with increasing crop failures and reliance on climate-sensitive supply chains. When people can’t feed their families, society breaks down
Adjusting diets to more plant-rich foods, lowering red meat intake, reducing food waste and shifting land use is has the potential to significantly cut emissions and build resilience and boost public health.
The Danish Action Plan for Plant-based foods is a great example of progressive policy in this space.
Health
Hugh Montgomery OBE, Chair of Intensive Care Medicine, was unequivocal in his assessment:
“Climate change is the biggest global threat to human health of the 21st century. The climate emergency is a health emergency – lets treat it like one.”
Montgomery explained that climate action is also a health opportunity, improving wellbeing and reducing long-term healthcare burdens on individuals and the state.
Economics
Angela Francis, Green Economic Policy Expert, asserted that we must reward businesses working toward net zero and nature positive solutions and offered a route to navigate this transition:
o Align incentives to back business on a transition pathway
o Install carbon border adjustments
o Phase out of old technologies
Francis stated that there would be some failures along the way, but a faster transition is far more cost-effective than a slow one in the medium to long-term.
Summary: The Ripple Effect
This summary isn’t meant to be a doomsday announcement, it’s about tackling misinformation through sharing an honest reflection from the experts on where we are, and what we need to do to create a more secure and prosperous future.
If one person engages seven others on making this transition, and each of those people does the same, the impact explodes. If that process is repeated just twelve times, a single conversation can ripple to reach the entire global population. That’s what happens when action becomes contagious.
Now is the time to have these conversations. This isn’t just a moral or environmental argument, this is an economic and social one, and the science proves it.
All expert briefings from the event will soon be available on The National Emergency Briefing YouTube channel.
At the briefing, a letter was read out calling for a televised emergency briefing. For those who wish to sign the letter, you can do so here.
To understand how Think Beyond can help your business with its social impact and sustainability goals, please contact simon.lucey@thinkbeyond.consulting.
