The National Trust has said climate change represents one of the “biggest threats” to historic buildings in the UK.
The body said that without “urgent and large-scale action” on addressing climate change, more than 70 per cent of its 500 historic properties will be at medium or high risk of climate-related hazards by 2060.
It launched a Climate Change Hazard Map in 2021 to improve understanding of risks such as flooding and coastal erosion for its properties. New layers have now been added to the map that allow regional teams to flag localised threats posed by climate change.
In the report, A climate for change: adaptation and the National Trust, the body says it faces various short-term risks including flooding, wildfires, drought and coastal erosion. In the long term, it also wants to plan for extreme weather events that will threaten wildlife habitats and increase humidity, which will make it more difficult to care for artworks and collections.
The report also anticipates that changes to visiting patterns – due to hotter weather, for example – could mean that more visitors choose coastal places over inland historic estates at the peak of summer.
“Earlier scientific predictions of more extreme weather conditions are now more frequently coming to pass. While we cannot fully mitigate this change, we can collectively help to protect ourselves and the places we care for by taking steps to adapt,” said National Trust director-general Hilary McGrady.
In 2019, the body announced it was ceasing any further investments in fossil fuel companies in a pivot designed to reflect its aims “as a conservation charity”.
It said that teams across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are already starting to tailor climate adaptation and mitigation measures to meet the specific needs of fragile stretches of coastline, complex heritage sites and nature habitats.
Various proposals on the table include planting crops and flowers that can survive high temperatures and drought, and tree planting efforts to help prevent flooding and store carbon.
The National Trust also called on the government to introduce new legislation that recognises the importance of adapting buildings, coastlines and countryside to cope with the impacts of climate change.
“We want to see a Climate Resilience Act, with clear legal duties and targets for adaptation, and a new dedicated minister. This proposed legislation will ensure adaptation is on an equal footing with climate change mitigation and the pathway to net zero,” it said.
