Climate
Climate Change - What's Happening and Why It Matters
On 20 May 2026 the Climate Change Committee's report 'A Well Adapted UK' found the UK unprepared for the increasing impacts of climate change. Almost 20 years after the Climate Change Act, UK emissions are down 42% - but the climate keeps changing.
The UK's Position
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is unambiguous: increasing heat, drought and flooding will damage homes, public services and infrastructure, and urgent action is needed to avoid disasters.
- Increasing heat, drought and flooding
- Damage to homes, public services and critical infrastructure
- Urgent adaptation and mitigation action recommended
Climate change is already wreaking havoc elsewhere
In some parts of the world, climate change is already displacing people from the Equatorial zone, the tropical zones around Cancer and Capricorn, and the Desert zone - through floods and wildfires.
What climate change means for people globally
Global Warming - The Numbers
+1.4°C
Global average warming above pre-industrial levels today
+1.5°C
Projected to be reached by 2030
+2°C
UK pathway by 2050 under current policies
+4°C
UK pathway by 2100 under current policies
What the warming levels mean
- ●
+1.5°C
Increased flooding, heatwaves and biodiversity loss globally.
- ●
+2°C
Polar ice sheets begin to collapse. Equatorial regions become uninhabitable. Heatwaves, wildfires and flooding intensify worldwide.
- ●
+3°C
Most of southern Europe in permanent drought. Wildfires become the new normal in Mediterranean countries.
- ●
+4°C
What would this mean for the UK and the world? A question worth sitting with.
As the Earth warms, polar ice caps melt and sea levels rise. Oceans warm and marine ecosystems collapse. Seas become more acidic, which impacts their ability to absorb and lock up carbon - accelerating global warming further.
UK-specific projections
The graphics below, sourced from the Climate Change Committee, illustrate both the historical record and future projections for the UK under different emissions scenarios.
A 3.2°C market: where corporate targets are heading
The June 2026 CDP and WWF Temperature Market Report measured the climate targets of every company in the Bloomberg World Large & Mid Cap Index. The verdict is stark.
3.2°C
The warming pathway implied by current corporate climate targets globally - more than double the Paris 1.5°C goal.
2.9°C
Even when you only count companies that have set a climate target, the score barely moves. Having a target is not the same as having an ambitious one.
>3.2°C
Scope 3 (supply chain and product use) emissions targets are the single largest source of misalignment - across every region and every sector.
3.4°C
The default score given to any company with no credible climate target at all - a business-as-usual pathway by 2100.
Long-term net-zero promises don't change the picture. Short, mid and long-term scores all sit above 3°C. The gap between ambition and action is the story of the next decade.
The science is clear. But so is the opportunity. A little change by a lot of people adds up to a significant contribution. That's why A Ride For Life exists.