The UK has been scorched by four heatwaves since May, with temperature records smashed and an estimated 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales caused by the extreme heat. England is on track for the highest number of deaths caused by heatwaves since current figures began, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Large parts of the UK have gone without rain for over 40 days, and the whole of Wales and more than half of England are now officially in drought, with July becoming the driest in almost 190 years.
Wildfires in Suffolk, Wales, Scotland, Manchester and London, as well as across France and Spain, have forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and caused widespread devastation to property, agriculture and nature.
Recent analysis by the Climate Change Committee shows that climate change is costing the UK economy up to £60bn a year today, a figure that could rise to £260 billion annually in less than 25 years’ time. As well as loss of life, costs include repairing damage to homes and businesses and losses of farming income.
And these climate-caused disasters aren’t over yet. This year’s natural El Niño weather pattern is still set to intensify in the coming months, pushing up temperatures, adding to the already substantial amount of human-induced global warming, and raising the risk of worsening droughts, wildfires and flooding around the world.
Meanwhile, Shell CEO Wael Sawan said the current wildfires are “very worrying” and that his “heart goes out to the many who are suffering from it,” as the company announced bumper profits of over £7.3 billion.
New polling shows that the British public is also worried about the weather. The survey of 2,000 UK residents, conducted by Survation in May 2026, highlights the British public’s concerns around changing weather patterns, and indicates strong support for holding fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the role they play in driving these weather changes.
Concerns around climate change
Over half of people in the UK think the effects of climate change are becoming more severe at home (51%) and abroad (57%). Nearly a quarter of Brits (24%) report being personally affected by climate change, including from flooding. Over six million properties across England are currently at risk of flooding, but this could rise to eight million – a quarter of all homes – in just under 25 years' time.
The majority of the public (57%) is worried about changing weather patterns – and over a fifth (22%) say they are very worried – with a similar number (54%) predicting that the financial costs of global warming will increase.
Who is to blame?
When it comes to who should be held accountable, 41% of the British public think that fossil fuel companies should be held financially accountable for the role they are playing in driving climate change.
More specifically, 54% want to see oil firms pay for the cost of repairing damage to homes caused by more extreme weather, 45% think oil firms should compensate for loss of income or livelihoods, and 45% suggest oil firms should compensate with personal payments to anyone injured, traumatised or even bereaved by climate-induced weather disasters.
The Odette Case
The survey was commissioned by the Odette Case campaign. We are supporting the over 100 Filipinos who are suing Shell in the UK over its decades-long contribution to climate change. * Their lives were devastated by Super Typhoon Odette, a typhoon in 2021 made more likely and more severe due to climate change. They are seeking compensation in the landmark case, which could set a global precedent for climate damage claims against polluting companies.
Madeleine Lynch, a campaigner with the Odette Case said:
“Most people are now wise to the central role that oil companies play in driving climate change.
“Whether it’s the wildfires and extreme heat facing Europe today or the more destructive storms overseas, the costs of these disasters are being heaped on ordinary people while oil giants like Shell push ahead with new drilling – like the Rosebank oil field – in pursuit of bigger profits.
“If this group of ordinary men and women in the Philippines - who saw their homes, their lives, and their children's lives destroyed by Typhoon Odette - are able to make Shell pay for their losses, it could change everything. The era of these corporate giants avoiding responsibility for the harm they cause could come to an end."
Said Robert Palmer, deputy director of Uplift:
“Scientists cannot be clearer that climate change is being driven by the burning of fossil fuels. We can see that the costs for countries to try to adapt their infrastructure to the changing weather are spiralling.
"Shell and other oil and gas profiteers should pick up that bill to deal with the crisis they’ve helped to create, rather than leaving it just to individuals and taxpayers. Shell is making billions – including an Iran war bonus – while the rest of us are left carrying the costs in unaffordable energy bills and extreme weather.”
Heather Shepherd MBE, co-founder of Flooded People UK, said,
"Flooding is getting worse, more and more homes are being affected by climate change. Without Governments creating and financing a bigger bolder plan, people are going to continue to suffer. Drastic action is needed and funding is key. It shouldn’t be ordinary people having to foot the bill for the devastation caused by flooding - water companies, oil and gas giants and developers are some of those who need to take responsibility and work together to unlock the bolder approach alongside the Government.”