Climate change is one of the most important and urgent problems facing us today. Without action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the direct impacts of a changing climate will have major adverse effects on society, the economy and the environment, including our cultural heritage. The wide-ranging actions required to limit further damaging emissions, combined with the need to adapt historic assets to make them more resilient to a changing climate, will also have significant implications for the historic environment.

‘Climate change in context’ is a basic guide to current scientific thinking, to government responses, and to the wider implications for the historic environment.

Climate Change and the Historic Environment

In January 2008 English Heritage issued a revised statement on the implications of climate change for the historic environment, aimed at  those involved in the scientific and technical aspects of climate change and those undertaking impact risk and adaptation studies.