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As the UK enters a fifth deadly heatwave of summer, drought extends to more parts of the nation, and major fires at home and across Europe continue to make headlines – a public conversation around climate impacts has never been more relevant.
Thousands are already estimated to have died from heat in May and June, with many directly linked to climate change. It’s expected that this summer will see the highest number of heat-related deaths since records began. This morning it was announced that Andy Burnham will chair an emergency Cobra meeting due to the extreme heat, drought and fires.
But amidst this, oil giants are boasting record profits, media outlets aren’t routinely joining the dots, and there is continued uncertainty surrounding the government’s ‘pragmatic’ position on oil and gas drilling.
So, let’s take a look at climate opinion in this disjointed context.
Climate impacts are undeniably part of everyday life
People across the UK are already experiencing these changes first-hand.
Whether it’s homes becoming dangerously hot, concerns about drought and water shortages, or local communities being repeatedly flooded – the majority now say they have direct experience of climate impacts.
In new polling by Ipsos, over half of British adults (56%) said that this year’s extreme heat has disrupted their ability to carry out normal daily activities like working, exercising, or sleeping; while 9 in 10 (87%) think it’s likely that Britain will continue to experience similar severe heatwaves into the future.
Our research with Flooded People UK showed that – even before this summer’s heatwaves – heat had become the most commonly reported climate impact experienced in the UK. Almost half of respondents (46%) said they had personally experienced extreme heat. This was followed by severe storms (30%), poor air quality (21%), flooding (21%), drought or water scarcity (15%), and sea level rise or coastal erosion (9%).
In total, 69% of respondents reported personal experience of at least one kind of extreme weather event.
These findings reflect broader shifts in public engagement with climate extremes. For many people, climate impacts are no longer future possibilities, they are squarely part of everyday life.
Who should pay?
As nations suffer extreme climate impacts, oil companies are making huge profits. Our research shows that the public are connecting the dots.
Many in the UK are trying to adapt their homes to cope with the heat – but have been finding costs to be a major barrier. Ipsos report that the top reason for not planning to make home cooling changes is “lack of affordability” (39%).
In this context, one of the clearest findings from our recent research was that the public believe those who contribute the most to climate risks should cover more of the costs.
Three in four Britons (76%) support the principle that the biggest polluters should pay more of the costs associated with heatwaves, floods and storms in the UK.
A substantial majority endorsed the idea that fossil fuel companies, developers and utilities who make large profits in the process should contribute more to protection, clean-up and recovery costs arising from climate impacts.
And this extended across the political spectrum. The greatest support came from backers of Plaid Cymru (87%), the Green Party (85%), Labour (81%) and the Lib Dems (82%). Conservative supporters were not far behind (71%), while around half of Reform voters were supportive (51%) of the principle. By comparison, only 5% of the British public ‘strongly oppose’ this idea.
When asked who should pay the most for climate impacts, the public point towards national government (59%) and big oil and gas companies (41%), followed by local government (31%), insurance companies (26%) and developers (24%). Only 5% say those directly affected should bear the costs themselves.
The public are not alone in this: MPs also point to national government (44%), big oil and gas companies (43%), and insurance companies (30%) as the main parties responsible for paying for the majority of climate impacts, with only 5% saying ‘people affected by climate impacts’ should pay.
This highlights a growing sense of injustice around climate impacts in the UK – and acknowledgement that those hit hardest shouldn’t be the ones picking up the bill.
The public want greater action on adaptation
Beyond the costs, Britons want faster and bolder government action on climate preparedness.
71% of Britons agree that adapting to climate impacts should be an “urgent, top priority” for the government, with many also seeing the “shift to clean energy” as an urgent priority to mitigate climate risks (66%). Relatedly, a majority (55%) state that mitigation and adaptation should be treated as equally important – a finding echoed in other recent research.
This builds on previous Climate Barometer polling, which found that most people believe the UK remains underprepared for climate impacts. In 2024 polling, 78% said the UK is ‘not well prepared’ to deal with extreme weather such as flooding, storms and drought, while only 16% believed the country had made good progress on adaptation.
With Number 10 stating last week that a focus on “practical resilience alongside cutting emissions” is high on the government’s agenda – these parts of the message appear to have filtered through.
Looking ahead: The public expects climate risks to grow
Looking to the next decade, the public continues to express concern about the impacts climate change will have on their lives.
Britain’s greatest worries include harm to nature and wildlife (63%), rising household bills (54%), and suffering among the world’s poorest communities (49%). Only 14% say they are not worried about climate change affecting their lives over the next ten years.
As another summer of record temperatures unfolds, these findings paint a clear picture: people are feeling a range of climate impacts here and now, they want greater investment in climate protection, and they believe that those who contribute most to climate risks should contribute more towards the costs.
Yet alongside this is evidence of enduring optimism. In our 2025 polling, 42% agreed that by working together and taking radical action, we can still prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
More on all of this to come.
New research by Climate Outreach shows that support for adaptation action significantly increases when people are shown tangible solutions, such as heatproofing our homes and restoring natural flood defences.
The study – a survey of 7,000 people across Britain and in-depth focus groups across the UK – found that:
This echoes findings from Climate Barometer’s tracker which shows that adaptation and mitigation are supported equally, as well as past research by Climate Outreach/Cardiff University showing that the public see these broad responses as “two sides of the same coin“.
A new piece by Local Storytelling Exchange brings together people’s experiences of extreme weather: from tree planting to preventing waterlogged cricket pitches, to shading schools from the rising heat. Amidst “The new normal”, Exchange are sharing stories and multimedia content to highlight how people in Britain are already adapting to extreme weather, including heatwaves, drought and floods – and spotlighting that they can’t do it alone. Here are a couple of quotes from contributors:
“It’s really challenging when you have relatively small classrooms with up to 30 children and multiple adults. When it’s over 30 degrees in the summer, it’s suffocating.”–Rona Mackie, head teacher at Guildford Grove Primary School
“Houses in Scotland are built to retain heat, which is great in the winter, but it’s problematic if you’re getting temperatures of 30 degrees and your flat is sitting at 27 or 28 degrees for a few days on end. The consequences of that could be massive ” – Dani Waddell, manager of Crossroads Youth and Community Association
New survey data shows that nearly three quarters (71%) believe the government should make adapting to climate risks like floods, heat, and droughts an “urgent, top priority”, while only a minority (15%) disagreed.
The findings, from a nationally representative UK survey in collaboration with Flooded People, highlight the public desire for action on impacts like floods, storms, heat and drought.
While experts in the climate sector separate out ‘adaptation’ and ‘mitigation’, our new data shows that a majority (55%) think these two broad responses should be prioritised equally (echoing our previous tracker insights).
The survey also showed that most people report one or more direct experience of climate impacts. Heatwaves and extreme heat are the most commonly experienced climate impact (felt by 46%). A third have experienced ‘severe storms’ (30%), and a fifth say they have been directly affected either by flooding or poor air quality (both 21%). It’s less than a third (29%) who still say they have “no experience of impacts” at all.