By Anne MacLennan
2024 was the hottest year on record globally and this summer was the UK’s hottest. About 1,500 deaths in just 12 cities during the European heatwave in June-July were attributed to climate change; 171 of those in London. Temperatures and deaths are expected to continue rising ‘until the world largely stops burning oil, gas and coal and reaches net zero emissions.’
Storms Floris and Amy were unpleasant, disruptive and damaging for Skye, but Hurricane Melissa in October (Jamaica) and Typhoon Kalmaegi (Phillipines and Vietnam) in November caused devastating damage, displacements and deaths.
Our changing climate caused many more human and economic disasters in 2025 of course, so one could expect radical responses from our leaders, right? Well, not that radical.
There is clear understanding of climate impacts and available solutions (e.g. rapid phase-out of fossil fuels), but politics and 
corporate agendas / wealth can be subversive. Paul Brown, environmental journalist hails Margaret Thatcher for understanding climate change and warning the UN about its dangers in the 1980s. But for her, as now, knowledge and ideology clashed in the familiar ‘pattern of politicians learning the inconvenient truths of climate change and then falling short in the actions required to solve the problem.’
Then there is the extraordinary power of fossil fuel lobbyists leaning on decision-makers. 1,600 attended COP30 negotiations. Foxes in a hen run? In that context, it is amazing that there has been any progress, so all credit to passionate activists, scientists and morally-strong politicians. There have been positive outcomes such as increasing the finance for developing countries’ climate adaptation (from $200bn annually to $300bn by 2035) and a plan for transitioning away from fossil fuels is to be worked out with wide consultation over coming months, led by Brazil’s president, and reported to COP31. Others claim that there is an unstoppable energy transition in progress (despite the obstructions) with a decisive tipping of economics to renewable energy. You can listen to podcasts recorded throughout COP30 with interviews of some notable delegates here.
Meantime Mock COP negotiations involved young people around the country, including Highland secondary school pupils gathering in Inverness. The programme aims ‘to give young people an insight into climate politics and the challenges of climate negotiations’ and to build ‘Global Citizenship skills including political literacy, critical thinking, communication, empathy and an ability to manage complexity and uncertainty.’
How does the UK government plan to combat climate change? Well, it didn’t seem to be a high priority in the Budget. It is disappointing that energy efficiency schemes have been cut in order to reduce electricty prices. As one commentator puts it, ‘You can’t build a modern, clean energy superpower on old housing stock.’ Maintaining the fuel tax freeze incentivises running fossil-fuelled vehicles, especially as the tax value has dropped due to inflation over the 16 years of the freeze, so even better for the big petrol-guzzlers. Remember too, that domestic road transport is the highest-emitting sector. And just to ensure that you hesitate to switch to a cleaner vehicle, bump up the tax on EVs. Friends of the Earth reaction here
And if you would like to hear some reasoned responses to the climate change challenge, watch this video with Brian Cox and panellists (44 minutes).