Climate week comes at 'critical time', expert says
BBCAs the South West experiences its second official heat-alert in two weeks, "the evidence for climate change has never been clearer", an expert has said ahead of a week-long event.
The Exeter Climate Forum is bringing together world-leading climate researchers, businesses, policymakers and young people.
It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issued an amber heat-health alert for five regions of England, including the South West.
Professor of climate system dynamics at the University of Exeter Peter Cox said: "We've had the warmest years globally in the last two years... this is a critical time to meet up and talk about climate change."
Prof Cox said: "We can see evidence that how often you exceed a threshold like 30C, or 35C or especially 40C in the UK, is going up very rapidly with climate change.
"I think people are being affected by it and I think most people get it, and the issue is then, how do you connect that to action, from individuals - and individuals are absolutely critical - but also from governments.
"I think some progress is being made but it's not enough. And I think more can be done and we've got all the things we need to do it really."
The Exeter Climate Conference forms part of the Exeter Climate Forum and is being hosted by the University of Exeter and the Met Office.
Organisers say the latest research on the impacts of climate change and "the ways humanity can avoid and adapt to worsening impacts in the future" will be discussed.
A government spokesperson said: "We owe it to current generations to seize the opportunities for energy security and lower bills, and we owe it to future generations to tackle the climate crisis, by becoming a clean energy superpower.
"That's why we have set an ambitious new climate target to reduce emissions by 81% by 2035 – which will give Britain more security, deliver jobs and economic growth."
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