Are Politicians Taking The Climate Crisis Seriously Enough?

Tourists shelter from the sun underneath an umbrella, backdropped by the Elizabeth tower commonly known as "Big Ben" in central London on May 26, 2026. An inescapable heatwave has swept across the UK in the last week. Temperatures have soared to a shocking 35C, breaking previous May records set in 1922 and 1944 by a full 2C. As the regular weather pattern known as El Niño was already scheduled to warm up the globe this year, perhaps it should not be a surprise. But that overlooks how temperatures in the UK have been climbing in recent years. Who can forget the staggering heat of summer 2022? Experts have repeatedly warned the government that Britain needs to adapt to its new status as a hot country. Extreme heatwaves, along with droughts and floods, are all becoming much more common and expected to only get worse. The world has already warmed up by about 1.4C compared to before the industrial era when humans started burning fossil fuels en masse. Global efforts to keep that increase in temperature to 2C are completely off-track, according to specialists in the UN. But, despite all of the alarm bells ringing, conversations about the climate crisis have taken a backseat in politics within recent years. Conversations about how to adapt British homes to extreme weather and how to help prevent further global warming have largely fallen by the wayside. The magnitude of the threat means the topic has become too daunting for many people, especially when it risks impinging on our day-to-day lives. Fears over the cost of pursuing net zero by 2050 – a promise from the UK government to balance greenhouse gas emissions with carbon offsetting – have helped move the dial away from green action. And, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump’s war in Iran squeezing oil supplies, there are more concerns about the UK’s energy security than ever before. Opposition politicians – and Trump – have called for Britain to exploit the deep oil and gas reserves in the North Sea. This move would definitely hit the UK’s reputation as a climate leader by encouraging the release of more greenhouse gases. But many want the focus to be on the immediate cost of living, and believe installing renewable energy sources will be too expensive. Experts on the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) do say adapting to the crisis will cost approximately £11 billion per year. But, as the weather this week proves, turning a blind eye to the changes our climate is facing is no longer than option. More than 90% of the UK’s existing homes could overheat during more extreme heatwaves by the middle of the century, climate change specialists say. The CCC warned last week that Britain needs to adapt, and quickly, as the UK was “built for a climate which no longer exists today”. The experts say investing now will generate “returns in the tens of billions” in the years to come. And it’s worth noting that the government is still trying to commit to some green action – Labour’s energy secretary Ed Miliband is focused on making Britain a “clean energy superpower” by 2030. But the party is facing pressure to bring down bills right now, which would mean turning back to fossil fuels in the short-term. The Conservatives have drifted from their pro-environment era under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, and now want to drill in the North Sea. The Green Party is gaining traction for leaning into more socialist values, even if that means talking less about the climate crisis, while Reform UK wants to scrap net zero targets altogether, fast-track drilling and rip up nature projects. So what will it take for politicians to turn their focus to the environment once more? Listen to this week’s Commons People as we unpick the contentious subject, the impact it is having on the UK and just why it seems to have fallen off politicians’ radar. Subscribe to Commons People , the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... I Joined OnlyFans To Fight The Climate Crisis – And My DMs Went Wild UK Accused Of 'Blocking Ambition' To Tackle Climate Change: 'It's A Major Setback' Exclusive: Zack Polanski Attacks Starmer's Climate Record As PM Heads To Green Summit

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