What climate change means for Birmingham
Many of the effects of climate change can already be seen in the UK.
Since pre-industrial times, the average temperature of the UK is estimated to have risen by 1.2 degrees, with many of our warmest years on record occurring recently:
The temperature increase has contributed to more frequent and extreme weather events, such as record-breaking heatwaves and flooding.
Without action to drastically reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, our winters will continue to become warmer and wetter, and our summers will become hotter and drier.
The Environment Agency and Sustainability West Midlands expect this to have several impacts on Birmingham and the wider region:
- an increase in health-related illnesses and fatalities due to more intense heatwaves
- more frequent water shortages affecting:
- energy production
- industrial activity
- public access to water
- an increase in wildfires in the area around Birmingham, particularly on moorlands, caused by heat and drought
- more intense flooding, which could mix with harmful industrial material and waste at industrial sites in the city
- local natural environmental impacts such as:
- biodiversity loss
- decreasing soil quality
- threats to freshwater species
- extreme weather events causing cascading failure of infrastructure networks and supply chains
To understand which parts of the city are most at risk and vulnerable to these effects, the council and the University of Birmingham has completed a Climate Risks and Vulnerabilities Assessment that highlights which parts of the city are most at risk to the effects of climate change compared to others.
Page last updated: 14 April 2026
