This week on the Environmental Audit Committee I spoke to Professor Anna Hogg, Professor Karen Heywood OBE FRS, Dr Kaitlin Naughten, and Professor Martin Siegert FRSE about the threat of sea level rises to the UK and other islands.

Professor Karen Heywood told me that as a resident of East Anglia herself, she is confident that sea level rises will impact coastlines across the UK, increasing the likelihood of erosion. Professor Heywood went on to tell me that extreme weather events will exacerbate the impact of sea level rises on the UK, leading to an assessment that if we are not prepared, this will have a significant impact on the UK economy.

Professor Martin Siegert also told me that rising sea levels have been unlocked as a result of climate change. Whilst much of the future increases will be locked in, Professor Siegert emphasised that how the world approaches net zero will be key in determining how much this danger will be exacerbated by.

Watch the full session of the Environmental Audit Committee here.