The implications of climate change and global warming will continue. The UK Climate Impacts Programme (www.ukcip.org.uk) suggests, for instance, that while caution must always be exercised with climatic projections, there are number of things we can now say with some confidence.

• The UK will continue to get warmer. Average annual temperature for the UK could rise by 1°C by 2040 and 5°C by 2100. There will be greater warming in the summer and autumn than in the winter and spring, the thermal growing season will continue to lengthen while soil moisture levels in the summer and autumn will decrease. 
• Summers in the UK will continue to get hotter and drier. By 2040, the average summer temperature for the UK could rise by 2°C, and by 2100 by 6°C, By 2100, there could be up to 50% less precipitation in summer months.  The number of days when buildings require cooling is expected to rise in consequence.
• Winters in the UK will continue to get milder and wetter. The average winter temperature for the UK could rise by 1°C by 2040 and 4°C by 2100. There is expected to be up to 30% more precipitation in winter months, and far less occurrence of snowfall events.

These processes will be accompanied by global sea level rises. By 2100 these could have risen by as much 80cm around the UK coastline. Extreme sea levels are expected to be experienced more frequently. By 2100 storm surge events could occur up to 20 times more frequently.  If these trends are realized, they will have major implications for patterns of living and economic production in the UK, not least in the land-based economy. Even so, while extreme events will become more routine, (such as flooding), the UK will appear an environmental safe-haven compared to many, vastly more vulnerable, countries. This may have a demographic effect: pressure to accept environmental refugees in light of environmental disasters may become common place, while the UK may be viewed a residential ‘hotspot’ for the wealthy and mobile.