Climate change: Next government asked to do more after election

Climate change is the biggest health threat facing humanity, according to the United Nations.

Despite its importance, some voters feel it is not being discussed enough in this general election campaign.

BBC News spoke to people who think it should be the main issue for the next government.

“We had to pull everything out and start over. We buy plastic things like chairs so we can wash them.

“Our new sprung floor is foam and plastic so it can go up and down again, unlike the wood floor we had.

“We’re working on the assumption that it will happen again, and probably sooner rather than later.”

Olivia Egan describes the aftermath of a flood that left her business, Jack’s Theater School in Catcliffe, under 3ft (90cm) of water.

Storm Babet brought about a month’s worth of rainfall in 36 hours last October, flooding 250 homes and businesses.

Eight months later, moisture is still coming out of the theater school’s walls through dehumidifiers.

The Environment Agency said the flooding was the result of both surface water and a breach in the Rother River’s defenses – but the agency was criticized by Rotherham MP Sarah Champion and councilors for not issuing flood warnings early enough.

Ms Egan wants the next government to offer more support to flood victims.

“Obviously addressing climate change itself is really important, but the government needs to look at insurance because it’s very difficult and much more expensive to insure, so it’s a huge issue.

“Insurers will also replace like for like, whereas now we want things that are flood resistant and the process has to be quicker and easier.

“The truth is that people are not going to want to be in a floodplain if those measures are not in place and suddenly all these houses are going to be empty.

“We don’t want to leave here, but there were definitely moments of thinking, ‘should we go and find somewhere else?’

“We love Catcliffe, we love this building, but it’s definitely been a thought process because it’s going to happen again.”

Structural engineer Miriam Graham knows all about making buildings climate friendly.

He works for Arup and leads a national network group looking at structural engineering sustainability.

She wants the government to make carbon assessments mandatory in the UK construction industry and provide incentives for companies to use low-carbon alternatives.

And he says that building something from scratch is not the best option.

“We should look at what we already have because the most sustainable solution is to build nothing.

“If we can keep and reuse buildings, be creative with them, it will save a lot of carbon and emissions.

“If we have to tear down a building, we have to keep those materials, like the extraction beams.

“Government has a very important role to play in helping to accelerate how we can deconstruct and use more of these materials and prevent them from going to waste.”

It is not just floods that destroy homes and livelihoods.

Wildfires broke out in South Yorkshire in July 2022 when temperatures reached over 39 degrees.

However, the environment does not seem to be a hot topic in this general election.

BBC research shows that climate change is only in the top 10 issues for voters aged under 34.

Dr Tom Payne is a Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.

He recently organized a show at the Crucible theater in Sheffield which will launch ‘Storm-Cloud’, a major program of engagement, exhibitions, performances and films around the climate emergency.

A few years ago he co-led the Ark Sheffield project, where people reflected on what the floods meant to them.

He said: “The conversations illustrated people’s very immediate concerns with the NHS or having enough money to go to the shops and buy food this month.

“Often conversations about the climate emergency are secondary to that.

“I see the political parties focusing on these immediate concerns, but all those things like the NHS, migration and the economy are linked to the climate emergency and will get progressively worse if we don’t address them.”

The Conservatives say they will meet their goal of reaching net zero by 2050. They would triple offshore wind power and approve new small nuclear plants.

Labor would spend £1.7 billion a year on a Great British Energy company to create 650,000 jobs, drive industrial renewal, lower bills and create secure sources of clean energy.

The Liberal Democrats have a net zero target of 2045. They would accelerate the use of solar and wind power so that 90% of energy is generated from renewable sources by 2030.

The Green Party wants to reach net zero by 2040 at the latest and would phase out nuclear power.

Britain’s reform says it would abandon any plan to reach net zero.