Today the Environmental Audit Committee has published letters
from the government on adaptation to extreme heat and the
National Security Assessment on biodiversity loss.
Extreme heat
In a letter responding to the
Committee's correspondence last month, Environment Secretary
sets out details of the
government's actions to adapt the UK to extreme heat, ahead of
the publication of the fourth National Adaptation Programme
(NAP4) in 2028.
These actions include setting up a new Taskforce for
Environmental Resilience and Efficiency (TERE) to help the
government act earlier on environmental risks, and public estate
strategies which include helping hospitals and schools to tackle
overheating. The letter also states that the Health and Safety
Executive will be launching a consultation on workplace
temperatures later this year.
Asked for the government's views on the merits of active cooling
measures, such as air conditioning, the Secretary of State says
active cooling should not be the primary or sole intervention,
given the high operational costs for the household and subsequent
impact of system demand.
National Security Assessment
In January, the government published a 14-page National Security
Assessment, setting out the national security risks of
biodiversity loss. Media reports suggest that a longer,
unabridged version of the Assessment exists, but the government
has so far denied the Committee access to this document.
In a letter published
today, Minister for Nature responds to this claim, saying:
The published Assessment sets out the Government's position and
presents its key findings. I do not accept the suggestion that
the Government has briefed the media on information withheld from
the Committee.
As with other national security assessments, the Government does
not comment on speculation or media reporting about internal
analytical processes. Process details are not disclosed where
doing so could undermine national security, international
relations or the integrity of assessment processes.
ENDS
Further information
The letters are published on the Committee's
website.
