London: People's Emergency Briefing
The UK - like every other country - faces a growing climate and nature emergency which will affect health and food systems, infrastructure, security and economic stability. This crisis is more serious and immediate than many understand. Most people have never been fully briefed about it. There is strong evidence that bold, urgent action will improve lives and livelihoods, but the window of opportunity is narrowing as we delay.
A new film from the National Emergency Briefing, sets out the risks facing the nation - and the credible, positive responses available - in a clear and accessible way designed for screenings in communities across the UK.
On 27 November 2025, ten of the UK's leading scientific experts briefed an invited audience of more than 1,200 politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media in Westminster. The aim was to encourage decision-makers to step up their response to the escalating climate and nature crisis. The People's Emergency Briefing includes extracts from the November event together with interviews and graphics. It is hosted by wildlife broadcaster Chris Packham.
The film is disturbing and is not intended for individual viewing but for group screenings where the contents can be discussed, hope engendered and action planned. One well-attended screening took place yesterday at the FCJ Centre for Spirituality and EcoJustice near Euston in London, hosted by the FCJ Centre and by Laudato Si Animators.
Before the film, participants were asked to speak to those around them about aspects of nature that they particularly valued. In my group, people mentioned bluebells, trees and the changing of the seasons.
After the film, we were invited to share what had most forcibly struck us about the information provided. Among the issues mentioned were the rapidity of the rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the past hundred and fifty years compared to its stability for the past ten thousand. Civilisation has grown up during a period of climate stability which we are quickly destroying. Another concern was the growing strength of political forces which either deny the reality of climate change or do not wish to take the action needed to mitigate it.
Then we discussed what to do. There was a mixture of the personal and the political - consumer and lifestyle choices, lobbying MPs, and the need to challenge climate change denial, misinformation and the power of big money. A Muslim participant spoke of how he had come to realise the enormity of climate change by reading Pope Francis's Encyclical Laudato Si, and he said that faith communities are well placed to inform, motivate, encourage and support people in making the necessary changes.
So there is much that we can do in our parishes and religious communities - including hosting a screening of the film and encouraging people to take action in their own lives and lobby their MPs.
Some of the participants in the 20 May screening intend to take action together. One immediate action we are asked to take is to call on our political representatives to express their support for a national, televised, government on the climate and nature crisis, similar to the briefings held during the COVID-19 pandemic.
See: www.nebriefing.org/parliamentary-call.
The event ended on a note of hope, just as Pope Francis's Laudato Si does. The situation is very grave, but by taking specific actions we can still improve it. Let us not delay!
For more information, see:
www.nebriefing.org/expert-briefings
www.fcjsisters.org/news/fcj-centre-for-spirituality-and-ecojustice-in-london/
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