Released today, the State of the UK Climate report has found that weather extremes are now the norm in the UK, with record temperatures and rainfall becoming more frequent.  

Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence at The Wildlife Trusts, says: “This report clearly reinforces that climate change is bringing more frequent extreme weather events to our doorsteps – from heatwaves and droughts to floods and storms. Nature has a critical role to play in helping to safeguard homes, businesses and livelihoods from these harms, underpinning our resilience to climate change with huge financial savings.  

"As we're already seeing, the effects of climate change on UK wildlife are deeply concerning. From swifts dropping out of the sky during heatwaves to trees flowering much earlier than they have in the past, we are particularly worried about the effects of droughts on our nature reserves. Restoring and connecting nature, as well as supercharging ambitions for nature-based solutions like peatland restoration, tree planting and re-wiggled rivers, will therefore be vital to a liveable future which tackles this dual crisis head-on." 

The impacts of this are far reaching, not least on our wildlife. However, nature also holds part of the solution to the climate crisis. Nature-based solutions provide multiple benefits to society – safeguarding us from extremes of weather, from flooding to droughts, while also being home to much-loved wildlife. 

As a result, The Wildlife Trusts are calling for ambitious action to tackle the dual nature and climate crisis.

How nature-based solutions are making a difference to nature and the climate

Peatlands

In total, The Wildlife Trusts have restored over 60,000 hectares of peatland since the 1990s, saving around 1 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Between them, peatlands are a major UK carbon store, containing upwards of 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon, while also helping to store water for times of drought and slow the flow in times of heavy rainfall, reducing flood risk downstream.

Rivers

Historical straightening and deepening of waterways has meant that extreme rainfall events are causing increased flooding across the UK. 

As ecosystem engineers, beavers are a key ally in the fight against this issue, helping to reestablish wetlands and natural water systems which slow the flow of rivers and reduce the downstream risk of flooding. 

Woodlands

Across The Wildlife Trusts, our managed woodlands are materially important for sequestering carbon, with between 30,000 and 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent being locked up each year. 

Alongside this, and in providing habitats for wildlife, our woodlands also help to slow the flow of water in times of increased rainfall, enhance water quality and provide shade and urban cooling benefits during hot periods. 

Coastal

Sea level rise is a significant threat to people’s homes, livelihoods and businesses in coastal areas, with wildlife habitats also being lost. 

The Wildlife Trusts are involved in a number of managed realignments in coastal areas, allowing floodplains and coastal marshes to develop in order to control the movement of water inland elsewhere on the coast.