Britain to invest 5m euro in climate research

Britain has launched a 5 million pound ($7 million) research programme to help better prepare for risks posed by climate change such as heatwaves and floods, the government said on Friday.

The move comes a week after scientists warned Britain’s weather is already being hit by climate change and following catastrophic floods across northwest Europe last month and wildfires in several Mediterranean countries this month.

“From flooding to wildfires – the extreme weather events we’ve recently witnessed show how crucial it is for communities to build resilience and protect their futures,” Alok Sharma, president for the COP 26 international climate talks to be held in Britain later this year, said in a statement.

The research will be carried out by some of the leading authorities in environmental science such as University College London and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, and will help to inform future climate policy, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said (BEIS).