Wildlife

Climate Change and Wildlife Welfare Impacts

Climate change is rapidly altering habitats and creating new welfare challenges for wild animals across UK and global ecosystems.

Key Facts

UK temperatures have risen 1.1 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial period
Species are shifting ranges, altering migration timing, and changing breeding seasons
Phenological mismatches threaten food availability at critical life stages
Extreme weather events including droughts and floods cause acute welfare events
Some species cannot adapt fast enough to changing conditions

Welfare Considerations

Climate change is a systemic welfare crisis for wildlife, creating suffering through habitat loss, food insecurity, and extreme weather events. Addressing the root causes through emissions reduction is the most fundamental welfare intervention.

What You Can Do

Reduce your personal carbon footprint through diet, transport, and energy choices
Support organisations conducting climate adaptation research for wildlife
Advocate for ambitious climate policy as an animal welfare issue
Plant climate-resilient habitat in gardens and community spaces
Engage with the overlap between climate and wildlife welfare in policy discussions