Ms Howard Boyd, added: “London has many good plans and programmes to prepare for climate hazards but we need to recognise that Londoners now face lethal risks, and a step change is needed.
“Last year was the hottest on record and this is causing chaos and disruption all over the world.
“London is not immune, as shown by the flash floods in 2021 and a 40C heatwave in 2022.
“It’s time for the UK, led by its cities and regions, to take action and prioritise adaptation.”
Extreme weather in London
In July 2022, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to wildfires across the capital, as 40C temperatures took hold.
In one day, the brigade took 2,670 calls and responded to more than 1,000 fire incidents.
The brigade said it was its busiest day since World War Two.
Flames destroyed more than 40 properties and more than a dozen fires broke out across the capital.
The year prior, severe flash flooding struck London as roads turned into rivers and homes and businesses flooded, including the Stratford Shopping Centre.
Within one day, the brigade took about 300 calls – mostly about flooded basements or roads.
Bob Ward, chairman of the London Climate Change Partnership, said heavier rainfall and more intense heatwaves were already “disrupting lives and livelihoods across the capital”.
“These impacts will increase in frequency and severity for at least the next three decades, and a failure to adapt will undermine London’s status as one of the world’s great cities,” he said.
Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, Sir John Armitt, said: “The truth is that London is not ready to cope with the likely weather changes ahead.
“This interim report lays out what needs to happen to fix that.”
The report found that despite some progress in preparing for the impact of extreme heat and surface water flooding, London was underprepared for the frequency and severity of climate change currently experienced.
It also found that low-income households, the elderly, minority communities, children and vulnerable health groups faced a “lethal risk”.
The report also said that adapting for climate change in London would benefit the whole country, given the capital’s economic importance and the presence of critical national infrastructure, including transport hubs and key hospitals.
It also called on the government to give councils more funding and powers to adapt their communities for climate change.
And in London, it said urgent action was needed to prevent major flood damage, including planning for where flood defences need be placed before 2050 and installing sustainable drainage systems.
Mr Khan said: “Work led by City Hall and London boroughs has long been under way to prepare the capital for the increasing frequency and intensity of climate risks.
“We will be looking at how we can take forward the recommendations identified so far and urging others, especially government, to do the same.”
The mayor added that later in the year, the London Resilience Partnership will carry out an exercise to test the capital’s preparedness for a severe heat episode.
Denise Bower, of management, engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald, said the interim findings set out a “compelling case for the changes needed in London”.
“They also have important lessons for cities across the UK and globally,” she added.
Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, CEO of the Green Finance Institute, has said it “fully supports” the interim conclusions of the report.
The review gathered evidence from the public and organisations including charities, councils, the NHS, Transport for London, London Fire Brigade, the Met Police, the Greater London Authority, the government, the financial services sector and sports and cultural institutions.
The full report is due to be published later in the year.
Black Swans / Green Shoots examines the collision between urbanization and resource scarcity in a world affected by
climate change, identifying opportunities to build sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure through the use
of revolutionary capital, increased awareness, innovative technologies, and smart design to make a difference in the
face of global and local climate perils.
'Black Swans' are highly improbable events that come as a surprise, have major disruptive effects, and that are
often rationalized after the fact as if they had been predictable to begin with. In our rapidly warming world, such
events are occurring ever more frequently and include wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and drought.
'Green Shoots' is a term used to describe signs of economic recovery or positive data during a downturn. It
references a period of growth and recovery, when plants start to show signs of health and life, and, therefore, has
been employed as a metaphor for a recovering economy.
It is my hope that Black Swans / Green Shoots will help readers understand both climate-activated risk and
opportunity so that you may invest in, advise, or lead organizations in the context of increasing pressures of
global urbanization, resource scarcity, and perils relating to climate change. I believe that the tools of business
and finance can help individuals, businesses, and global society make informed choices about who and what to
protect, and I hope that this blog provides some insight into the policy and private sector tools used to assess
investments in resilient reinforcement, response, or recovery.
