Facing the Heat: UK’s Slow Progress on Climate Adaptation Highlighted at Durham Energy Institute Event

The speaker, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chairs the UK’s Climate Change Adaptation committee, which advises government on how to respond to the country’s climate risk assessment. Baroness Brown outlined the advice that will be published in May 2026, on the need to adapt to climate change that is actually accelerating. In particular, she highlighted the ‘silent killer’ of extreme heat, and the risks to health of increasing summer indoor temperatures. The Adaptation committee has concluded that the UK is only just starting to plan for how we will adapt to our changing climate and the increased risks of heat, flooding and storms that we are already experiencing.  

The lecture addressed how our current energy system is being reshaped by decarbonisation, new technologies and changing patterns of demand, and set out what this means for communities, policymakers and industry over the coming decades. Using vivid case studies, the speaker showed how innovations in areas such as grid flexibility, storage and demand-side management can help balance these pressures while accelerating progress towards NetZero. They also underlined that infrastructure decisions taken now will lock in impacts for generations, making informed, evidence based debate more important than ever. 

A major theme was the importance of connecting technical excellence with social insight. The talk examined how low carbon solutions land in real places, where questions of local consent and community benefit have real impact, alongside the need for fair financing models and skills pathways that create good jobs as well as clean power. By foregrounding lived experience alongside engineering and policy analysis, the lecture highlighted why just transitions must be designed with, not simply delivered to, the people they affect. 

Throughout the evening, the speaker challenged the audience to think differently about what an equitable energy future might look like, and what role universities, businesses, governments and citizens can each play in bringing it about. The lecture was both thought provoking and deeply inspiring, inviting listeners to move beyond abstract targets towards practical action and collaboration. Many attendees commented afterwards on how clearly the talk linked global climate goals to decisions being made here in the North East and across the UK. 

As Durham Energy Institute, we were delighted to see such strong engagement from members of the public, students, staff and stakeholders, and to host a discussion that so closely reflects our mission to integrate science, engineering and social science in the service of a fairer, more sustainable energy system. The questions and conversation that followed the lecture demonstrated the depth of interest in these issues and the appetite for continued dialogue. 

Members of the audience, shared reflections on the lecture and the themes it raised: 

Lynn Gibson, DEI Manager “I found this lecture both energising and sobering in equal measure. It brought home just how urgent the choices we face on energy really are, but also showed that with the right collaborations between communities, industry and policymakers, we have the tools and imagination to build a fairer, more sustainable future. It was exactly the kind of thoughtful, joined‑up discussion we want to champion at Durham Energy Institute.” 

Jon Gluyas, President of The Geological Society & Professor of Earth Sciences:  “We’re doomed”, boomed Private Fraser, and the words of Baroness Brown regarding the UK’s lack of preparedness in terms of adapting to climate change were little different.  It’s a story often told over the last 10 years and more and yet almost nothing has happened in the UK.  Prevarication rules but time to act is ebbing away.  Do I see the UK stepping up to meet the challenge? No.” 

Laura Brown, Commercial Manager, Energy Systems, Northern Powergrid “It was very impactful to hear the outcomes of the Adaptation Committee’s latest publication on the UK’s progress in adapting to climate change from the Chair of the committee. Some good practical guidance on approaches to adaptation e.g. for health, that seem no-regret actions.”  

Alan Lowdon, Professor in Practice, Durham University - “ An extremely candid, insightful, and thought-provoking session. It gave the audience much food for thought along with a clear outline of where the UK Government should be focussing its attention in order to deal with the ongoing spectre of global warming and its associated impacts”. 

Dr Benj Sykes, Chair of the DEI Advisory Board and Country Manager at Ørsted said “It was a great honour to host Baroness Brown at the Institute’s annual lecture and to be reminded just how much we’ll all be impacted – and are already being impacted – by climate change, with the prospect of 45˚C heatwaves to name but one.  The CCC’s work on adaptation has never been more important and it was clear that DEI can, and must, play an active role in helping society prepare, alongside its vital work in climate mitigation.”