MPs are calling on the UK government to host a televised national climate emergency briefing, as the country swelters through its third heatwave of the summer. The demand follows the release of the People’s Emergency Briefing, a 50-minute film hosted by TV environmentalist Chris Packham, which outlines urgent threats posed by climate and nature breakdown to food security, the economy, and public health.
National Emergency Briefing in Westminster Hall
In November, a first-of-its-kind national emergency briefing took place in Westminster Hall, where nine experts delivered stark assessments of the changes needed to adapt the UK to a rapidly changing climate and ecological landscape. The event was organized by a team that later crowdfunded to produce the People’s Emergency Briefing film, which premiered in June 2024.
The film features Packham calling on the government to stage a prime-time televised emergency briefing. So far, 91 cross-party MPs, peers, and members of the UK’s devolved legislatures have signed a parliamentary motion urging the government to host this briefing. Signatories include former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and the peer Rosie Boycott.
Heatwaves and Climate Threats
The call comes as parts of the UK experience their third heatwave this year. In June 2024, most of Europe endured its hottest-ever June, a phenomenon scientists say would have been impossible without human-induced climate change. In summer 2022, more than 60,000 people died due to heat in Europe, according to a study.
Lt Gen Richard Nugee, a retired senior British Army officer, describes climate breakdown in the film as the “most insidious threat to our society,” putting the “very fabric of our society at risk.” A recent report by senior UK national security officials warned that the country faces severe threats from the climate crisis and the collapse of vital natural ecosystems, with food shortages and economic disaster potentially just years away.
Government Response and Adaptation Gaps
The government did not respond to a request for comment on whether it will hold a televised briefing. However, a spokesperson said the government already holds an annual statement on the state of the climate, the second of which is planned for later this year. In the first statement, last year, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband outlined work being done in response to the climate and nature crises, including the largest investment in clean power in a generation and the largest flooding programme in history.
The Climate Change Committee has warned for over a decade that the UK’s plans to protect people from extreme weather are inadequate. The government’s advisers say an additional £11 billion per year in spending, with about half from the private sector, is needed to adapt to the climate crisis.
Public Screenings and Church Support
Members of the public, businesses, and community groups are encouraged to host their own screenings of the People’s Emergency Briefing. Over 2,000 screenings have taken place or been confirmed so far. The call for a televised briefing has also been backed by a coalition of the UK’s large church denominations and Christian organisations.
The Right Rev Graham Usher, the bishop of Norwich and lead bishop for the environment in the Church of England, said: “We are the first generation to see the effects of climate change and the last that can do anything about it. The People’s Emergency Briefing is a wake up call for all of us. The threat posed by climate change and loss of biodiversity dwarfs that of other crises and the public need to be informed so that together we can turn the situation around.”
Breaking the Climate Communication Bubble
Nick Oldridge, co-founder of the National Emergency Briefing, said holding a televised briefing is the best way to get people to listen and act. “If you look at the history of climate communication, it’s commonly talking into a bubble of people who are really passionate. The biggest challenge is breaking beyond that bubble. And there’s no better way than the leader of your country standing up and saying these risks are worse than we thought, they’re coming at us earlier than we anticipated, let’s get on the front foot and here’s our plan.” He added: “We can speculate whether that will work or not, but it did work in Covid and we’ve got evidence of it.”
