The UK's hottest day on record

Yesterday, the Met Office confirmed that July 19th 2022 was the hottest day ever recorded in the UK, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. This is around 1.5 degrees more than the previous record, which was captured only in 2019, in my home town of Cambridge.

This is a foretaste of the reality of what is heading our way. Data from Dye & Durham’s National Ground Risk Model: Climate™ shows us that an increased risk of multiple hazards, driven to a large extent by our changing climate, are set to make an ever-present impact over the coming decades if significant and lasting changes are not made. 

As an organisation that serves the property industry, providing data insights to lenders, insurers and conveyancers, our data points to an increased risk of flooding, soil subsidence and other ground movements, in addition to coastal erosion – all of which have the potential to impact residential and commercial properties up and down the country.

More importantly however, the climate emergency has the potential to greatly impact our food production, water supplies and health. Yesterday’s estimates of excess deaths from heat make sobering reading. The very real threat of wildfires in urban areas was shockingly realised before our eyes. Climate change is not an excuse for greenwashing for businesses. The threats are very real.

I strongly believe it’s about time we all stop, think and commit to radical changes in the way we live and run our businesses (and countries) so that we take an active role in being part of the global solution. We all have a circle of influence – an area where we can bring about change. Some of us can change policy at a government level, others at company level, but we all can make changes in our own lives that reduce our personal climate footprint. And we can encourage each other in this journey to net zero.

If you’re looking for simple, practical things you can do in your life here are four things you can change TODAY. The bonus is they all have additional benefits for you too.

1)     Walk or bike to work, or when dropping kids off at school
2)     Switch to a plant based diet (or at least drastically reduce consumption of meat and dairy)
3)     Buy less stuff (consider a 24 hour pause for non-essential purchase decisions)
4)     Shower in half the time. (This is the new challenge I'm adding in for me - thanks Jo Parker)

These are alongside bigger ticket items, like minimising air travel, insulating our homes and switching to renewable energy sources where possible.

Our world is facing a real crisis. It’s time to be grown up about this. We all need to be part of the solution.

What will you change today?