Industry trade body calls for climate resilience to become a national mission

Business leaders urge Government and all political parties to wake up to the very real impacts of our changing environment and unite around resilience and adaptation in order to achieve energy security and economic prosperity. 

The urgency of this challenge has been brought sharply into focus in recent days. For the first time, millions of people across England and Wales received a Government Emergency Alert on their mobile phones warning of the severe wildfire risk facing the country, highlighting the extent to which climate-related threats are now directly affecting communities and public safety. At the same time, the UK has experienced one of its most extreme summers on record, with prolonged periods of exceptional heat and drought. The nationally recognised weather station at RHS Garden Wisley has reportedly recorded more than 60 consecutive days without measurable rainfall, underlining concerns that this could be the driest and hottest summer ever experienced in parts of the country. These events demonstrate why climate resilience and adaptation can no longer be viewed as future challenges but must instead become immediate national priorities.

The Environmental Industries Association (EIA) Climate Change Working Group, which all other committees of the EIA feed into and which is chaired by former Environment Minister Rebecca Pow, met on 3 August 2026 and agreed that the UK must move beyond fragmented climate policymaking towards a comprehensive national strategy centred on Climate Resilience.

Bringing together leaders from across the environmental, water, energy, building, health and infrastructure sectors, the Working Group concluded that climate change can no longer be treated as a stand-alone environmental issue. Instead it has  a fundamental  impact on overall economic stability through its  affect on  energy security, water resilience, healthy buildings, food security, infrastructure and  public  health.

The EIA Climate Change Working Group concluded that climate resilience should be understood as the UK's ability to keep its economy, infrastructure, energy systems, water resources and communities functioning in the face of climate change and global shocks.

The Group agreed that resilience should not be presented as an alternative to Net Zero, but rather as the means through which the UK delivers a more secure, affordable and prosperous transition.

The Group reaffirmed its support for the UK's legally binding Net Zero 2050 target, which business leaders described as setting  a marker to drive action. Critically industry had a special call for a stronger focus on resilience and adaptation necessary to deliver security that will make the transition more durable politically and more meaningful to households, communities and businesses.

The discussion was informed by the EIA's recent Climate Resilience Position Paper and policy recommendations to Government, which set out a framework for embedding resilience across national policy, infrastructure planning and investment.

Rebecca Pow: Resilience Is the Route to Net Zero

Rebecca Pow, Chair of the EIA Climate Change Working Group and former Minister for Nature and the Environment, said:

"Climate change is no longer a future challenge. It is already affecting our economy, our water supplies, our homes, our food systems and our national resilience.   Businesses engaged across the environmental sector are clear that adaptation and mitigation must now be treated with equal urgency.

"The EIA's position is straightforward. Climate resilience complements Net Zero, it does not replace it. If we want to maintain public support and political consensus, we must show how climate action strengthens energy security, protects communities, supports economic growth and improves people's everyday lives.

"This is not simply an environmental agenda. It is an agenda for national security, economic resilience and public wellbeing."

A Call to All Political Parties

The Working Group agreed that climate resilience should be an area where there is scope for constructive engagement across the political spectrum.  This should not be turned into a political football. 

The EIA believes that different political parties are increasingly arriving at similar consensus, even when their proposed solutions differ and this consensus needs to be conveyed and interpreted into action. The Committee discussed the positions being taken by current political parties. (See summary in Editors Notes.)

Rebecca Pow says : "Climate resilience should not be a partisan issue. Whether viewed through the lens of growth, security, sovereignty, affordability, environmental protection or public health, the objective is the same: building a Britain that is better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the coming decades.  We owe it to future generations to address this and urgently. "

The EIA believes the shared goal should be creating a UK that is more secure, more prosperous and better prepared for climate impacts.

Three Priority Asks for Government

The Working Group identified three immediate policy priorities where the environmental industry has particular expertise and authority.

1. Put Adaptation on a Statutory Footing

The EIA is calling for adaptation to be placed alongside emissions reduction within UK climate law, with clear duties on Government and robust oversight.

The Group highlighted that while the UK has a strong legal framework for reducing emissions, adaptation remains comparatively weak despite increasing threats from flooding, heatwaves, drought and infrastructure disruption.

2. Deliver an Integrated National Water Resilience Strategy

The Working Group called for a statutory national strategy covering:

• Water supply
• Flood resilience
• Drought preparedness
• Catchment management
• Water quality
• Agricultural resilience
• Emerging contaminants such as PFAS

Members agreed that water security must now be treated as critical national infrastructure and placed on an equal footing with energy security.

3. Create Resilient and Healthy Buildings

The Group called for reforms to building regulations and retrofit programmes that address:

• Indoor air quality
• Ventilation
• Moisture control
• Overheating
• Energy efficiency

Members stressed that buildings are not simply energy assets but critical public-health infrastructure.

Addressing the Cost of Inaction

The Working Group heard evidence that poor housing conditions already cost the NHS around £1.4 billion each year, while climate-related overheating risks could affect the overwhelming majority of UK homes by mid-century if action is not taken.

Members also discussed growing concerns around climate-related insurance risks, including flooding, overheating, subsidence and coastal exposure.

The EIA is proposing exploration of a national climate risk-sharing framework to ensure communities, businesses and public finances remain protected from escalating climate impacts.

Skills and Workforce Remain the Greatest Constraint

A recurring theme throughout the meeting was that delivery capacity has become one of the UK's biggest challenges.

The Working Group acknowledged evidence indicating that the clean-energy and resilience workforce must expand significantly by 2030 while large numbers of experienced workers approach retirement.

Participants agreed that achieving climate resilience will require:

• Expanded apprenticeships
• Skills investment
• Workforce planning
• Greater collaboration between industry, government and education providers

Without the workforce to design, build and maintain resilient infrastructure, members concluded that policy ambition alone will be insufficient.

Industry Leadership

Michael Lunn, Chief Executive of the Environmental Industries Association, said:

"What emerged from this meeting was a strong industry consensus that resilience must become a central organising principle for public policy.

"Our members are the companies delivering solutions on the ground. Whether it is water infrastructure, healthy buildings, flood protection, environmental monitoring, clean technologies or nature-based solutions, they are already helping communities adapt to a changing climate.

"The challenge now is creating a policy framework that recognises adaptation, resilience and delivery capacity as national priorities. The UK's climate goals will only be achieved if we have the government signals, the people, infrastructure and investment needed to deliver them."