Businesses ''not preparing for climate change'' - commercial mortgages

28 November 2007

Over half of all businesses are not preparing to deal with the threats potentially posed by climate change, the Met Office has said.

A survey conducted at the CBI Annual Conference has found that 57 per cent of firms, many of whom will hold commercial mortgages, have no plans in place when it comes to changing environmental decisions.

The Met Office has been working with the CBI Task Force in order to look at how firms will be affected by changing weather conditions.

"The Met Office has some of the best weather and climate change science in the world," said Met Office chairman Robert Napier.

"We can help British business achieve competitive advantage by being at the forefront of both climate change mitigation and adaptation.

There is of course uncertainty and we have to consider the future of the climate in terms of probabilities," Mr Napier added.

The comments come as a report from the CBI pledged to do "what it takes" to deal with climate change in the future.